Someone to Protect
by Water Tribe Wolf
Summary: A male German Shepherd/Akita has a somewhat normal life-protecting his sisters and mother, challanged by his father, hunting and keeping watch for humans who try to catch them (his parents were left by their masters), and trying to survive in Yellowstone. The appearance of a small black she-wolf dramatically changes his world and gives him something that he will die to protect
1. Strawberry and the She-wolf

It was a warm summer day. A herd of elk was grazing by a river. Squirrels were chasing each other in the trees. Everything was calm. The sounds of snarling and snapping broke that calmness.

The snarling grew louder, followed by yelps of pain and surprise. A pack of coyotes coward in the presence of a large and aggressive figure. One of the coyotes attempted to attack the large dog, only to be grabbed by the neck and tossed to the ground. The dog glanced behind him, where two pups trembled in fear, then back at the pack.

"You are a disgrace, attacking defenseless pups. You better clear out now. Return and you won't be so lucky. BEAT IT!" the male dog snarled.

Heading the dog's warning, the pack of coyotes tucked their tails between their legs and high-tailed it out of there. The large dog listened until the coyotes were far away, then turned around. The two pups stood up and licked the large dog's muzzle, who smiled softly and wagged his tail.

"Yuzu. Karin. Are you ok? What were you doing out here? Mom is probably worried sick,"

"We were just going to swim in the river, since it is hot out. Mom and the old man said we could. On the way, those coyotes decided to ambush us. Thanks for saving us, Ichigo," Karin said, wagging her tail. Yuzu smiled happily, tail wagging also.

"It's ok Yuzu, Karin. Just don't tell dad. I don't want to deal with his drama today. Come on, let's go swim and get back before the old man throws a fit, " Ichigo said and trotted to the river, Yuzu and Karin right on his hocks.

Ichigo is 3 years old. He stands 28 inches at the shoulder. He is a German Shepherd/Akita with the German Shepherd build and Akita tail. He has a black mask and paws. The tip of his tail is silver and the rest of his fur is orange. He has golden eyes. He is very protective, swift, and powerful. He is the older brother of Yuzu and Karin.

Karin is 6 months old. She is a German Shepherd/Akita with the Akita build and German Shepherd tail. She has a red mask, black body, and brown socks. Her eyes are brown. She is kind but stubborn. She is the younger littermate of Yuzu and little sister to Ichigo.

Yuzu is 6 months old. She is a German Shepherd/Akita with the looks of a German Shepherd. She has a black muzzle, golden body, and white paws. She has light brown eyes. She has a very sweet disposition. She is the older littermate of Karin and little sister to Ichigo.

Ichigo lay in the grass next to the river, golden eyes watched as his little sisters splashed and played in the water. He flicked an ear back, listening for danger. His sisters ran up to him and splashed water on him, laughing and wagging their tails. Ichigo stood and shook the water off his fur. Yuzu and Karin yelped when the water hit them, making Ichigo laugh.

"We should head back," Ichigo told his sisters, who nodded and trotted next to him.

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu trotted back to the den. On the way, Ichigo spotted an injured elk trying to find its herd. Ichigo to Yuzu and Karin to stay put, then bolted after the elk. Ichigo lunged at the elk, grabbing its throat and knocking it to the ground. Ichigo crushed the elk's jugular with his powerful jaws, killing it instantly. Yuzu and Karin ran over to him. Ichigo dragged the dead elk for a couple miles, Yuzu and Karin following him.

As soon as Ichigo reached the den, he was knocked to the ground. Jumping up, Ichigo growled and charged his attacker, grabbing it and pinning it to the ground. A yelp was heard and Ichigo let the attacker up. Yuzu and Karin laughed. Ichigo glared.

"You are strong, pup. I have nothing more to teach you,"

"He is not a pup anymore. I know this is play, but he is strong and can hurt you, Isshin,"

"I know. I want him to be strong so he can find a nice female and give us grand-pups. Right, my dearest Masaki?"

"You better knock it off old man," Ichigo said, pulling his lips back in a growl.

Isshin is 7 years old and stands 28 inches at the shoulder. He is a full-blood Akita. He has a black muzzle, dark brown body, and white paws. His eyes are brown. He is a big goof, but is serious when needed. He is the father of Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin. His mate is Masaki.

Masaki is 7 years old and stands 26 inches at the shoulder. She is a full-blood, long-haired German Shepherd. She has a black mask and her body is tan with a black saddle. Her eyes are brown. She is kind and caring. She is Isshin's mate and mother of Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu.

"You know I do, but if you keep teasing him, you are going to get hurt," Masaki said, laughing when Isshin whined and walked over to the elk that Ichigo caught.

Masaki licked Ichigo's muzzle and joined Isshin, tearing a chunk off and eating it. Yuzu and Karin ran over and tore into the carcass. Ichigo scanned the area with his keen golden eyes, then joined his parents and little sisters. A small squabble broke out between Ichigo and Isshin, which ended with Isshin yelping and Ichigo trotting away, stating that he was going on patrol. When the rest finished, they curled up next to each other and fell asleep, stomachs bloated with meat.

Ichigo trotted through the territory, patrolling and marking boundaries. As he was heading to the far edge of the territory, he pricked his ears and heard what sounded like a fight. Thinking that the coyotes had snuck back, Ichigo growled and picked up his pace. He loped towards the noise and burst through the bushes, growling. What he saw surprised him. The coyotes had snuck back, but were being attacked by a small, swift figure.

Ichigo watched the fight, itching to jump in and punish the coyotes again. The coyotes were circling around what appeared to be a wolf. He watched as the wolf dodged the attacks and scored bites on some of the coyotes. The wolf seemed to be holding its own against the pack until another coyote appeared out of nowhere and sank its fangs into the wolf's shoulder. The wolf growled and snapped at the coyote, only to have two more sink their teeth into its neck and hindquarter. The wolf was knocked to the ground.

Ichigo lunged forward, grabbing the throat of the coyote who had the wolf by the neck and crushing it. The coyote's jaw loosened. The coyote that was biting down on the wolf's hindquarter let go and lunged at Ichigo, only to have its leg snapped in half by Ichigo's powerful jaws. Ichigo sank his fangs into the head of the coyote biting the wolf's shoulder. He applied pressure, causing the coyote to let go of the wolf. Ichigo applied more pressure and crushed the coyote's skull.

Ichigo opened his jaws, the dead coyote hitting the ground with a thud. He towered over the others and snarled. The rest of the pack ran, never to return. Ichigo trotted over to the wolf, who whined in pain. The wolf slowly lifted its head to look at Ichigo. Ichigo pulled his lips back in a soft smile.

"Are you ok? You must be in a lot of pain."

"I have been better. I have been in fights before, but never to the point where I have been in danger of dying. Thank you. May I ask your name?" the wolf said.

"My name is Ichigo."

"Strawberry? That's a strange name," the she-wolf laughed softly, causing Ichigo to growl.

"My name means '_He who Protects'_ not _**Strawberry**_!"

"Ok Ok! I was joking! My name is Rukia,"

"Nice to meet you," Ichigo said, touching noses with her.

Rukia is a 3 year old wolf. She is small, standing 20 inches at the shoulder. She has jet black fur and violet eyes. She is kind but can have a short temper if provoked. What she lacks in height she makes up for in speed and power.

Rukia smiled softly at Ichigo, eyes closing due to fatigue. She slowly placed her head on her paws and fell asleep. Ichigo stared at her. He lay next to her, golden eyes scanning the area. He gently touched her cheek with his nose, then began to lick her wounds. Rukia groaned in pain, but still slept. Ichigo licked her muzzle then returned to cleaning her wounds. When he finished, Ichigo glanced around one last time. He sprawled on his side, being care to not hurt Rukia, and fell asleep. He didn't even feel Rukia scooting closer and placing her head on his thick-furred shoulder.


	2. Powerful Bond Welcome Third-Daughter!

Rukia was the first to wake the following morning. Feeling stiff, she stretched, only to feel a stab of pain and yelped. Something shifting next to her made her freeze. Rukia slowly turned her head, seeing gold eyes staring into her violet ones. Memories of what happened the day before returned as she stared at the powerful male German Shepherd/Akita who had protected her from the coyote packs' almost fatal blow. Violet eyes softened as she watched Ichigo, remembering how he protected her and carefully tended to her wounds.

Ichigo gazed at Rukia with soft gold eyes, tail thumping the ground. Touching noses with her, he stood up and shook the dirt off his thick fur. He pricked his ears and raised his head proudly, tail curling over his back. Rukia gazed up at the proud male, who seemed to radiate a very powerful and over-protective aura. She stood slowly, trying to not re-open her wounds. Ichigo pressed himself up against Rukia, making sure that she didn't fall.

Rukia felt Ichigo try to support her and instinctively pressed herself into his side, taking comfort from his strength. She buried her muzzle into his thick fur, taking in his scent. Ichigo smelled of Cedarwood and everlasting wind. Even though they had just met, Rukia felt safe with him.

Ichigo glanced down at Rukia, gold eyes softening. He lowered his head and nudged her cheek gently, then licked her muzzle. Rukia whined and nudged Ichigo's chest, tail wagging. Ichigo wagged his tail and walked away, stopping to look back at Rukia. Rukia walked up to Ichigo, who tilted his head and slowly trotted off to finish patrolling with Rukia at his side.

Ichigo and Rukia trotted through the territory, Ichigo stopping once in a while to lift his leg and mark a tree. Rukia watched Ichigo, wondering why he acted like a wolf when he was just a dog. She had seen dogs before, who would freeze as soon as they got separated from their human and would run back in fear. Ichigo acted as if he was born wild.

Ichigo slowed to a walk, letting Rukia catch up to him. He watched as she reached his side, her tail wagging. Suddenly, the sound of a rumbling stomach reached his ears. Ichigo turned with a smirk to Rukia, who pinned her ears back and lowered her tail in embarrassment. Ichigo barked a laugh and nipped Rukia, who growled and snapped at him. Ichigo pricked his ears forward, catching the scent of a buffalo herd by the river.

Ichigo broke into a trot with Rukia, reaching the river quickly. Rukia sat next to him and followed his gaze, violet eyes widened when she saw the buffalo herd. She quickly turned her head to look at Ichigo, only to find that he was running towards the herd. Rukia started to whine, fearing that her new companion would get killed, only to be proven wrong.

Ichigo ran after the buffalo herd, testing for weakness. He ran back and forth, dodging the deadly kicks aimed at him. As he chased the herd, one of the buffalo tripped. Ichigo lengthened his stride and closed in on the injured buffalo. He lunged at the staggering buffalo, powerful jaws latched onto its throat and knocking it down with his 130 pound body. The buffalo struggled to get up, only to have its neck crushed by Ichigo's powerful bite. Ichigo opened his jaws and dropped the buffalo's neck, which landed with a thud.

Rukia stared at Ichigo, who stood tall and proud next to his kill. So many thoughts raced through her mind. How could a single dog bring down a buffalo without getting hurt, whereas a pack of wolves could get injured or killed hunting one? Where did he come from? Being a dog, he was most likely born in a human's home.

"Hey, Rukia. You going to eat or what? I know you're hungry," Ichigo said.

"I'm coming. Don't push me around, fool," Rukia replied, pulling her lips back in a grin.

Ichigo pulled his lips back in a grin, nipping her muzzle gently. Rukia snapped at him playfully, then walked over to Ichigo's kill and tore into it. Ichigo joined her, tearing into the hindquarter. After a few bites, Ichigo trotted into the river and swam around. Getting out, he saw that Rukia had laid down a few feet away from the carcass. Ichigo trotted over and lay down next to her, nipping her ear.

"Are you ok?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm ok. Just a little sore and tired. Can I ask you a few things" Rukia said, tail thumping the ground tiredly.

"I guess you are wondering why I am living here and not with a human. You want to know where I am from and why I act like a wild dog," Ichigo said, Rukia surprised that he seemed to know what she was thinking.

"It is true that I am a dog, but I have never lived with a human. My parents were owned by the same human. They were left in this territory by their human 3 years ago. My mother was the family dog, staying in the house and playing with the human pups. My father was used to guard the human's property, playing with the human pups and flirting with my mother when he was allowed inside. Something happened and the humans were forced to get rid of my parents, leaving them here while on a family trip. The humans did that at the worst time. I was born a week after my parents were turned loose. My father told me when I was a pup that my name meant '_He who Protects'_ and that I was born to protect those who are close to me. When my sisters were born 6 months ago, I knew that I would protect them too. I only met you yesterday, but I feel that I would die to protect you," Ichigo said, nudging Rukia's shoulder gently.

Rukia stared at Ichigo, whose gold eyes closed tiredly and he placed his head on her back protectively. Her violet eyes softened and she placed her head on his huge paws. Feeling safe and comforted by Ichigo's presence and scent, Rukia drifted off to sleep.

"ICHIGO! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Knock it off Old Man!"

"Yeah dad. Please stop yelling. I'm sure Ichi-nii is fine,"

"Oh Masaki! Our daughters are being mean to me!"

"SHUT UP! Ichi-nii is right there!"

Rukia was jolted awake a few hours later, the sounds of snarling and snapping reaching her ears. The sounds of a fight grew louder. Rukia suddenly realized that Ichigo wasn't lying next to her. Her head shot up, violet eyes catching sight of Ichigo fighting a strange dog. Rukia watched as Ichigo grabbed the other dog by the neck and threw it to the ground, towering over the other dog and snarling at it. The pinned dog bit Ichigo in the leg, causing him to snap.

Rukia started to whine softly, ears going back and tail lowering in concern. Hearing Rukia's whine, Ichigo froze and turned his head to look at her, gold eyes softening slightly. The other dog used Ichigo's distraction to leap to its paws and shove Ichigo to the ground, only to be thrown to the ground again. Ichigo growled a warning, trotting over to Rukia and nudging her shoulder gently. Rukia nipped his muzzle in return.

"You are strong. I have nothing more to teach you."

"You say that every time you challenge and lose to me. Just give up already Old Man," Ichigo growled, watching Rukia out of the corner of his golden eyes.

Isshin whined to Masaki, who pulled her lips back in a soft smile. She licked Isshin's muzzle and looked at her son, noticing that he was standing in front of what appeared to be a small black she-wolf. She noticed that the wolf had some wounds with blood dripping onto the ground. Masaki watched as her son noticed that his companion's wounds had re-opened. She was surprised to see Ichigo nudge the wolf gently, licking her wounds to clean them.

Isshin followed his mate's gaze, watching how his son was acting around the small black she-wolf. He had been surprised when he found them. He found them curled up next to each other, with Ichigo's head lying protectively over the wolf's shoulder. Being the goof that he was, Isshin decided to pick on his son. Needless to say, Isshin ended up being pinned to the ground by Ichigo. Now, Isshin watched as his son stood protectively in front of the wolf. He pulled his lips back in a grin, brown eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Where did you go? Your mother was getting worried when you didn't return from patrolling last night. I didn't expect to find you with such a cute wolf though. Finally getting started on giving your mother and I grand-pups!" Isshin said, tail wagging.

"Knock it off Old Man!" Ichigo snarled, hackles rising. Rukia's violet eyes widened and she lay next to Ichigo, who place a large paw over her protectively.

Rukia glanced up at Ichigo, who glared at Isshin. Suddenly, two pups ran up to Ichigo and whined, tails wagging. She saw Ichigo's gold eyes soften at the pups, making her realize that they were the sisters he had mentioned earlier. Rukia smiled softly, watching as Ichigo followed his sisters to the river and pushing them in. She laughed when Isshin shoved Ichigo into the water, only to be attacked and chased by Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu. A soft laugh was heard and Rukia whipped her head around, spotting a long-haired German Shepherd.

"I doubt that Isshin is going to learn to stop bugging Ichigo. Oh don't worry. They do this every day. Ichigo keeps his father young and on his paws. We were surprised to find him curled up next to you and to see how protective he was when he thought that Isshin was going after you. I have only seen him that protective when it has something to do with me and his sisters," Masaki said, smiling softly at Rukia.

"I don't know why that is. I only met Ichigo last night. He rescued me when I was about to be killed by a pack of coyotes. For some reason, I felt like I didn't have to be afraid of anything when he was next to me. it feels as if Ichigo and I have met before," Rukia said softly, watching as Ichigo snapped at Isshin and ripped the dead buffalo's leg of and trotting over to them.

"That's who Ichigo is, a protector. He is happy that you are with him, I know it. I never got your name though dear," Masaki said.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I am Rukia. You are Ichigo's mother Masaki, right?" Rukia replied, tail wagging.

Masaki pulled her lips back in a smile, wagging her tail. Rukia smiled also and turned to see Ichigo drop the buffalo leg in front of her with a loud thud. Ichigo licked his mother's muzzle then trotted to lay down a few feet away, keeping an eye on his little sisters and his father only to sprawl on his side and fall asleep. Masaki ate a little from the leg, pushing the rest over for Rukia to eat. Isshin ran over, Karin and Yuzu behind him. Karin and Yuzu looked at Rukia in awe, as they have never seen a wolf before.

Karin, the bolder of the two, walked over to Rukia and smelled her. Seeing her sister greet Rukia, Yuzu bounded over with her tail wagging. Karin and Yuzu started whining, frantically licking her muzzle and wagging their tails excitedly. Rukia tilted her head, violet eyes softening as she looked at Ichigo's little sisters.

Rukia was the youngest wolf in her pack, so she never had contact with any pups. Even so, Rukia loved puppies and there was something about Ichigo's little sisters that she absolutely adored. Violet eyes shining, Rukia licked Yuzu and Karin's muzzles gently. Yuzu and Karin whined happily and nuzzled her shoulder, then trotted over to Ichigo and curling up next to him.

"Yuzu and Karin really do love their brother. By the time they were 3 weeks old, they would sleep right next to him and attempted to follow him anywhere he went. Ichigo has always been gentle with them, letting them climb all over him and using him as a chew toy when they were teething. Not once did I ever see him get annoyed with them. But, enough about them. Who are you, my dear little wolf? My idiot of a son seems to have made a bond with you," Isshin said.

"Ichigo really is something else. I have never met anyone like him, even in my own pack. I told your mate that I feel as if I have met Ichigo before, or as if I have known him since I was a small-pup. I am a wolf and he isn't, so it is impossible that we have met before. Sorry about my rant. I am Rukia," Rukia told Isshin.

"You are welcome to stay with us. I know that my idiot son will become real depressed if you left. So, you are here to stay, my beloved third-daughter!" Isshin said, tail wagging excitedly.

Isshin watched as Rukia trotted over to Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin. He grinned as Rukia lay next to Ichigo, who lifted his head to look around before placing it protectively on her back. He watched as Yuzu and Karin scooted closer to Rukia, Yuzu putting her head on Rukia's front paws and Karin placing her head on Rukia's hindquarters. Flicking an ear back, Isshin heard Masaki trot over to him.

"Rukia is such a sweet-heart isn't she. Ichigo really seems to like her. She looks familiar though, don't you think Isshin?" Masaki said, looking at her mate.

"She is real sweet. I know what you mean. It is probably a coincidence but, do you remember when Ichigo was a pup? He would always play with a black female wolf pup from the pack in the neighboring territory," Isshin told Masaki, whose brown eyes widened and her head turned immediately to look at Ichigo and Rukia, seeing a flashback of Ichigo as a pup playing with a female black wolf pup.

"I remember now. They were inseparable. Then that sweet pup left and Ichigo lost his fire and became depressed. It's been almost 3 years since she disappeared. Now Rukia appears and Ichigo won't leave her side. Could she be that pup that Ichigo played with all those years ago?" Masaki said. Isshin looked at Ichigo and Rukia and saw a memory of when Ichigo was a pup, curled up next to a female black wolf pup with his head on her back.

Isshin shook his head to clear the image. He had a strong feeling that Rukia was the pup that was inseparable from Ichigo under 3 years ago. If it really was her, he knew that Ichigo would truly be happy. Smiling, Isshin lay a few feet away from Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu, and Karin. Masaki curled up next to him, both of them falling asleep, not knowing that their suspicions were true.


	3. Remember and Old Friends

"_Come on Ichigo! I'll race you to the den!" a small black wolf pup said, bouncing around an Akita/German Shepherd pup._

"_Ok! I'm gonna win!" puppy Ichigo yipped._

"_No you're not! I'm gonna win!" the female wolf pup growled playfully, licking his muzzle._

_ Ichigo's golden eyes widened and his ears flicked back in embarrassment. The she-wolf pup giggled and tore off towards the den, Ichigo right behind her. The two pups laughed, running past the she-wolf pup's white-furred pup-sitter and his brown-furred brother. The two males smiled as they watched the pups racing towards the den site._

_ As they got closer to the den Ichigo lunged at his friend, only to have her dodge and causing him to hit the ground with a thud. This caused the other pup to skid to a halt and rush to his side, whining and licking his muzzle in concern. Ichigo groaned and slowly stood up. He nuzzled his friend's cheek affectionately and licked her muzzle to calm her down. Ichigo touched noses with the she-wolf pup, golden eyes entranced by violet-colored eyes that looked at him adoringly._

"GOOD MORNING ICHIGO!"

Ichigo growled when his 115 pound father pounced on him, causing him to throw the other dog off. Ichigo leapt to his paws and charged, snarling and snapping at Isshin. Isshin snapped at Ichigo, only to have Ichigo's jaws clamp down on his shoulder and roll him onto his back. Ichigo bit down hard on Isshin's shoulder, causing him to yelp loudly. Ichigo let his father up and trotted to the lake, curled tail flicking back and forth in annoyance.

Barks of laughter reached Isshin's ears and he turned to see his daughter and Masaki, lips pulled back in grins. Isshin whined and glared at them, causing them to laugh even more. He pouted and turned his head away in embarrassment, a flash of black fur darting past and catching him by surprise. Isshin and Masaki watched as Rukia loped over to the annoyed Ichigo, concerned about what their agitated son would do.

They watched the two, holding their breath. They watched as Rukia reached Ichigo, who glanced at her then looked away. Their concern started to grow, only to be surprised at what happened next, confirming their suspicions of the previous night. They noticed that Ichigo was starting to remember his best friend as a pup.

Rukia slapped her paws to the ground in a play-bow in front of Ichigo, lips pulled back in a smile and her tail wagging happily. Ichigo stared at her in surprise, suddenly remembering a small black she-wolf with violet-colored eyes from his past. Rukia's scent and attitude didn't change from when they were pups. She finally came back! Ichigo's golden eyes looked at her affectionately, his tail wagging.

Ichigo towered over Rukia, who looked up at him and whined in concern. Rukia's violet eyes widened when Ichigo placed a large paw on her shoulder and gently nuzzled her cheek. A vision flashed before her eyes, showing an orange, black, and silver pup nuzzling her cheek affectionately. The vision disappeared as fast as it came. Ichigo had the same exact colors and markings as her best friend from when she was a pup. Rukia stared into his golden eyes, shining with the same deep adoration and affection that she still remembered from long ago.

'I remember" Ichigo and Rukia thought.

"I missed you Chibi. I thought that I would never see you again," Ichigo said softly, curled tail lowering and ears going back.

"I thought about you every day, hoping to see you again. I didn't want to leave all those years ago. I am so happy to finally be back at your side. I really missed you, Berry," Rukia said softly, pinning her ears back and lowering her head and tail.

Ichigo placed his paw back on the ground. Rukia stepped closer and buried her head against his thick-furred chest, nuzzling him and taking in the scent that she loved. Ichigo nudged her shoulder, growling affectionately in her ear. Rukia rubbed her small lean body against his large and powerful build, placing her head on his hindquarter and burying her muzzle in his thick-furred curled tail. Ichigo smiled softly with content.

"I have never seen Ichi-nii act like that. He just met Rukia two nights ago. We are confused," Yuzu said to her parents, Karin nodding in agreement.

"No. he has known her for a long time," Isshin said.

"What do you mean? Who is she?" Yuzu asked.

"She is from the Kuchiki wolf pack to the north. The pack left that territory when she was still a small-pup. Her sister would visit so that Ichigo could play with her, as she was the only pup in their pack. Her being here means that the Kuchiki pack is finally home," Isshin told them.

Yuzu and Karin watched their brother and Rukia. They watched as Ichigo invited Rukia to play, barking and wagging his tail. Rukia nipped him and ran, Ichigo on her hocks. She dodged when Ichigo tried to roll her over, stumbling and running after her again. Finally, Ichigo tackled her and pinned her to the ground. Rukia wriggled to try and get away, only to have Ichigo place his large paw on her shoulder gently. Ichigo nuzzled her lovingly, then let her up. He lay down next to Rukia, both drifting off to nap.

"That boy sure does take after you. I sure hope that he isn't as idiotic as you when he is your age. You were such a pain."

"I highly doubt that. He seems way to intelligent to become like you."

Isshin and Masaki quickly turned, catching sight of two very familiar faces, plus a face they have never seen. Isshin and Masaki grinned, tails wagging.

"It has been a long time. What brings you here?" Isshin asked.

"Same as you two. Our human was told to get rid of us. He had to leave town and couldn't take us. He figured that it was best to turn us lose. Jinta here was kept by his companion who decided that she didn't want to keep him," Yoruichi said.

"Oh geez. I would have thought that you were able to stay with him. Sorry to hear that," Isshin replied.

Kisuke is a 7 year old Labrador Retriever. He is big for a Labrador, standing 28 inches at the shoulder. He has golden blonde fur and green eyes. He has a lean build. He is a goof but will become serious quickly. He has been friends with Isshin since they were pups, growing up in the house next door.

Yoruichi is a 7 year old German Shepherd. She has a very lean build and stands 27 inches at the shoulder. She has long black fur with purple tints to it and golden eyes. She is very swift, the reason that she is nicknamed the _**Flash Goddess**_. She is kind and loves to tease Kisuke and Isshin. She lived in the same house as Kisuke. She is Masaki's littermate and Kisuke's mate.

Jinta is a 6 month old full-blood Akita. His fur is red with a black mask, white collar, and white paws. He was kept by the humans who owned Kisuke and Yoruichi, only to be abandoned with them when he was 3 months old. He is dominant and aggressive, which tends to get him into trouble.

"I see that you are doing well, considering what we are used to," Yoruichi said, golden eyes shining.

"Yes, it was a little difficult to get used to. Especially considering what was going on," Isshin replied.

"That's right. Masaki was carrying pups at that time. must have been quite stressful for both of you," Kisuke replied.

"I remember that. You must have been upset," Yoruichi said, looking at her sister.

"I was more scared than upset. I didn't know if I could keep my pups safe," Masaki said, tail lowering. Yoruichi licked her muzzle.

Kisuke glanced around, green eyes landing on Jinta. He watched the pup, wondering how he would handle being around dogs that he didn't know. He noticed Isshin's two 6 month old daughters run over to Jinta, tails wagging. Jinta stiffened, not knowing how to react. Kisuke watched as the golden female play-bowed in front of Jinta, who tilted his head in confusion.

Jinta stared at Yuzu, glancing at Kisuke to ask for help. Kisuke shook his head and grinned, causing Jinta to growl at him. Kisuke laughed when Isshin's golden-colored daughter jumped up and licked Jinta's muzzle, causing him to pin his ears back and turning his head in embarrassment.

"How many pups did you have?" Yoruichi asked, turning Kisuke's attention back to the conversation.

"Ichigo was the only pup born when we were abandoned here. His two sisters were born 6 months ago," Isshin replied.

"Only 1? I would have thought that you had more. You were quite big," Kisuke said, causing Isshin to laugh.

"Ichigo was a huge pup. He was very rambunctious, always moving around inside," Isshin laughed, only to have something large ram into him and sending him flying to the ground a foot away.

Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Masaki turned to see Ichigo pinning Isshin to the ground and growling. They watched as Isshin bit his leg, causing Ichigo to bite down hard on his muzzle. Isshin yelped and glared at Ichigo, who pulled his lips back in a smirk. Kisuke and Yoruichi looked at Masaki, who rolled her eyes and smiled. They watched as Ichigo walked away, his tail waving like a banner. They laughed at Isshin, who groaned and complained. The form of a small, black she-wolf running up to Ichigo playfully caught Kisuke's attention.

"Damn pup took me by surprise. I guess it runs in his blood, considering what his ancestors used to do," Isshin whined, trotting back over to Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Masaki.

"Ha Ha! I actually think that was the very first time that I have EVER seen you get knocked over by anyone. Be careful though. If any humans spot him in action, they would definitely try to catch him and put him to work," Kisuke said.

"Yeah, I know. I hope that doesn't happen," Isshin said.

"Oh boys. You better see this," Yoruichi said.

Kisuke and Isshin turned to stare where Yoruichi was looking. Isshin didn't notice anything that could cause concern, at first. Ichigo was play-fighting with Rukia, being very careful so that he wouldn't hurt her. Karin was chewing on a leg bone from the buffalo carcass. Jinta, the Akita pup that lived with Kisuke, was rough-housing with Yuzu. Suddenly a loud growl was heard and Isshin immediately turned to look at Ichigo, who had stopped playing with Rukia and was trotting over to Jinta.

"Oh no. This could be a problem," Isshin said, making Kisuke look at him.

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi asked.

"Ichigo is very protective of Yuzu and Karin. He has seriously injured or even killed anything that he believes will do them harm. Jinta seems to be quite dominant, and I bet Ichigo sees him as a challenger. He takes the meaning of his name very seriously," Isshin replied, watching Ichigo.

All of a sudden, snarling was heard. Masaki, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Karin whipped their heads around to see Jinta lunge and Ichigo. Ichigo feinted to the side and snapped at Jinta's shoulder, causing it to bleed. Jinta whirled around and sank his teeth into Ichigo's hindquarter. Ichigo snarled and bit down on Jinta's back, causing him to let go of the older dog.

Ichigo threw him to the ground, pinning him and biting his muzzle. Yuzu whined, trying to get them to stop. Ichigo flicked his ear back and turned to look at Yuzu, who slowly walked over to him and nudged his shoulder pleadingly. Ichigo sighed and turned away, causing Jinta to try and get in another bite. Jinta had almost reached Ichigo when a small flash of black fur knocked him over, growling a warning.

"Don't even think about it," Rukia growled.

Jinta slowly got up and shook the dirt off his fur, the turning to look at Ichigo. Ichigo licked the top of Yuzu's head, comforting her. Yuzu whined and licked his muzzle, thanking him. She bolted over to Jinta and nudged his cheek, causing him to wag his tail. Rukia nuzzled her head against Ichigo's shoulder, making him smile softly and lick her muzzle. Ichigo walked over to Jinta, who pinned his ears back and lowered his tail. Ichigo nipped Jinta's cheek and trotted away, Rukia right behind him.

"I didn't expect that. Ichigo actually let that pup get off easy with minor injuries," Isshin said, astonished.

"I think Ichigo was just being territorial and giving Jinta a warning. It would actually be good for Jinta. He doesn't know how to socialize and the right way to. Also, with Ichigo around, Jinta can have a role-model," Kisuke replied.

"That's true. Jinta has only been around Kisuke and I. Neither of us are dominant, so he doesn't know how to act around another dominant dog, especially a male," Yoruichi said, yawning.

Kisuke and Yoruichi found a spot in the shade and sprawled on their sides, tired from traveling and dealing with a rambunctious pup. Isshin and Masaki lay a few feet away from their friends. Karin trotted over to Ichigo and Rukia, lying next to them and placing her head on Rukia's hindquarter. Rukia placed her head on Ichigo's huge paws, sighing contently and tail thumping the ground. Ichigo nudged Karin's cheek, licked Rukia's muzzle, and placed his head on her back protectively. Jinta was sprawled in his side, Yuzu asleep next to him. Isshin glanced around to make sure that nothing was nearby, then looked at his only son and his son's future mate. He had a feeling that something was going to happen to Ichigo soon, but chose to ignore it for now. Isshin placed his head on Masaki's back and fell asleep.


	4. Captured and New Home

A month passed, summer turning to fall. Isshin still attacked Ichigo when he was sleeping, only to be beat up by his son. Kisuke would laugh, making Isshin chase after him. Yoruichi loved to challenge Ichigo into racing her, which Ichigo would refuse. Masaki and Karin would tease Yuzu and Jinta, who were inseparable. Jinta tried a few more times to be dominant over Ichigo, who immediately disciplined the Akita pup.

Ichigo had started to wander off on his own, causing the mixed pack to worry. Masaki found it strange that Ichigo would leave without Rukia, who never left his side. She noticed that Rukia would become upset and depressed when Ichigo would tell her to stay with the pack. When Ichigo returned Rukia would bolt over to him, whining and licking his muzzle frantically. Kisuke did notice that when Ichigo would make a kill, he would always make sure to bring Rukia extra.

Ichigo was the first to sense that something wasn't right, making him patrol longer on his own. He knew that it upset that Rukia to stay with the pack while he patrolled, as she was always with him. But with what he was sensing, Ichigo did not want anyone to get hurt. Being the only hunter in the pack, Ichigo was also an excellent tracker. During his patrols, Ichigo would try to find scents that where strange to him. During the patrol he was on now, Ichigo had a feeling that something was watching him. Flicking an ear back, he turned to look into the bushes next to him. Ichigo's ears pricked forward and he stared into the bushes, sensing that something was there.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned to see Rukia run over to him, ears pinned and whining. His golden eyes softened slightly, his attention mostly focused on the bush. He nuzzled her gently, licking her cheek and placing his head on her neck. Rukia pressed her body against him affectionately, whining and tail wagging.

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot filled the air and Rukia yelped. Her violet eyes widened and she staggered, falling to the ground. Ichigo whined and nudged her gently. His sharp golden eyes caught the sight of a tranquilizer dart in her hindquarter. Ichigo pulled the dart out, licking it.

"_**Hey, I got her. Go get a crate ready."**_

Ichigo whirled around and bared his fangs, snarling with his tongue flicking out of his mouth. His keen, golden eyes stared at a human, who seemed to be talking to someone who wasn't there. Ichigo stood over Rukia territorially and snarled louder, causing the human's eyes to widen.

"_**Better yet, bring two crates,"**_ the human said, watching Ichigo and wondering why such a powerful-looking dog wasn't being used as a working dog and why he was living in the National Park.

Ichigo watched the human, who seemed to be confused. Ichigo lay next to the sedated Rukia, nudging her and whining in concern. The human watched as the, what appeared to be a male Akita mix, worried over the black she-wolf. The human had a feeling that the large dog would put up a fight and attack when them when they try to take the escaped she-wolf away. To avoid that, the human figured it best to take the male dog also. A deep bark caught the human's attention and he turned to look at the dog, who had jumped up and was focusing intensely on something.

"_**Good job finding her Sai. The Center will be happy," **_another human said, walking over to Sai.

"_**Thanks. Unfortunately we might have a problem getting her back without making him upset, Daiki,"**_ Sai said and looked at Ichigo, Daiki following his gaze and catching sight of Ichigo.

"_**Wow. That is one huge dog. He looks like he is an Akita and German Shepherd cross. But why would such a nice looking dog be in Yellowstone, especially without a collar? It seems that he is quite protective of little Rukia,"**_ Daiki said, noticing that Ichigo pricked his ears forward and nudged Rukia gently.

"_**He almost went after me when I shot a tranq dart at Rukia. I have never seen a dog be so over-protective of a wolf. Wait. You said that he looks like an Akita/ German Shepherd. I think I remember you having an Akita and a German Shepherd,"**_ Sai said.

"_**Yeah, I did. The Akita was a brown and white male who was a guard-dog and would go with me when I had to work security. The German Shepherd was a long-haired female who my sisters loved to play with. She helped them learn to walk. I had to go to the Academy for more training, but when I came home they were gone. My parents didn't tell me why. It happened 3 years ago," **_Daiki replied, watching Ichigo.

"_**Yeah, I remember now. You were real upset. Your sisters were too. You said 3 years. Wasn't the German Shepherd pregnant?" **_Sai asked.

"_**Those dogs meant the world to me, so of course I was upset. I was looking forward to seeing Masaki's pups. That goofy Akita, Isshin, bred with her while I was at work and my parents and sisters were running errands," **_Daiki replied, not noticing Ichigo wag his tail when he heard his parents' names. Fortunately, Sai did.

"_**I think you did see Masaki's pup. It's this big guy guarding Rukia, who we really should crate before she wakes up. When you said **_**Masaki **_**and **_**Isshin**_**, his tail started wagging," **_Sai told Daiki, who's eyes widened.

"_**The back of the van is cleared. Rukia and her boy will do better if they aren't kept separate. If this big guy is anything like Isshin, we will have a noisy ride home. Go put a thick blanket down for them. I will get them," **_Daiki said, pulling a slip-lead out of his pocket. Sai nodded and walked to the van to get it ready.

"_**Hey big boy. I'm not going to hurt you. How are your mom and dad doing? I wish I could she them and make sure they are ok," **_Daiki said softly, sitting a few feet away from Ichigo and holding his hand out for Ichigo to smell.

Ichigo looked at Daiki, ears flicking back. He lowered his lips and tilted his head slightly, confused. He had heard what the humans had said. The human called _Daiki_ once owned Ichigo's parents, seeming to really love and miss them. As a small-pup Ichigo had always been curious about humans, wondering what it would be like to live with one. He wasn't sure when he would see his parents and little sisters again. But, for some unknown reason, Ichigo felt that he could trust Daiki. Maybe it was because his parents once lived with this human, he wasn't sure.

Ichigo licked Rukia's muzzle lovingly, watching her chest rise and fall while sleeping from the sedative. Ichigo walked up to Daiki and smelled his hand, ear flicking back. Daiki sat calmly, letting Ichigo smell him everywhere. Ichigo, being curious, nudged Daiki's hand. Daiki slowly reached over and scratched Ichigo's chin, making him growl. Daiki reached into his pocket and pulled out a big piece of chicken. Ichigo smelled the meat and sat down. Daiki tossed a small piece of the chicken to Ichigo, who caught it easily.

"_**Good boy. Would you let me put the leash on you? I guess you are wondering why we are taking Little Rukia. Don't worry, we aren't going to hurt her. I know that she will feel safer if you are with her," **_Daiki said, watching Ichigo look at Rukia then back at him.

Ichigo didn't want to lose Rukia a second time, so he was going to stay with her no matter what. Daiki carefully placed the slip-lead around Ichigo's neck and stood up. Ichigo walked over to the still sleeping Rukia and whined. Daiki crouched and carefully gathered Rukia in his arms, standing up and walking away with Ichigo trotting after him.

Ichigo stopped, throwing his head back and howled, letting his family know that he was ok and not to worry. Daiki whistled and Ichigo ran after him. When they reached the van, Daiki placed Rukia on the blanket. Ichigo leapt in and curled up next to her, nuzzling her affectionately and protectively laying his head on her back, drifting off to sleep. Daiki rubbed Ichigo's ears, took the slip-lead off and closed the door. He climbed into the passenger's seat, giving Sai the signal to start driving.

While Daiki was taking Ichigo and Rukia to the Center, Yoruichi raced through the woods. Black fur that appeared purple flickered between the trees. Where it normally took the pack an hour and a half to travel through the territory, it only took Yoruichi 10 minutes from where she saw her nephew and his mate to where the pack stayed. She skid to a halt in front of her sister, not even panting or winded from covering so much ground in such little time.

At only 2 years old, Yoruichi became the youngest Lure-Coursing and Agility Grand-Champion. She always came in 1rst place, beating the top Greyhounds by a great distance and more speed to burn in Lure Coursing and having the fastest time and beating the top Border Collies in Agility. Her nickname, _**Flash Goddess**_, came from spectators, judges, and other competitors. Her owner like the nickname so much that it became her registered show name with the German Shepherd Club.

"Where is Ichigo? What about Rukia? They are never gone this long," Masaki asked, whining in concern.

"Humans. They tranqed Rukia. Ichigo went with them. He saw me hiding and told me not to worry, that they would be safe," Yoruichi told Masaki, who pinned her ears back and whimpered. Yuzu and Karin heard and howled mournfully, Jinta nuzzling Yuzu to calm her.

"I had a feeling this would happen. Did you recognize any of the humans?" Isshin asked.

"Both of them actually. Daiki and Sai.," Yoruichi said. Isshin and Masaki looked at each other and shock.

"Dai… Daiki's home?" Masaki asked in surprise.

"Seems so. When he was talking to Sai about you, he repeatedly mentioned how much you meant to him and how upset he was when he came home and you weren't there. He said that he was looking forward to see your pups when he returned, only to find you gone. Sai quickly figured out that Ichigo is your pup and told him. He looked so happy. I only remember seeing him that happy when you two were with him," Yoruichi said, lying down.

"Daiki was always kind to us, we loved him. Isshin always followed him around when he was home and would occasionally go to work with him. When I was pregnant with Ichigo, he always made sure that I was comfortable. We really miss him. He will be great with Ichigo," Masaki said.

"He really is a good human. They mentioned taking Rukia to a Center but seeing how territorial and protective Ichigo is with Rukia, I bet that Daiki will take Rukia with him to keep Ichigo happy," Yoruichi replied. Isshin and Masaki nodded, knowing that Daiki would take care of Rukia and Ichigo.

Rukia slowly regained consciousness, head swaying slightly and paws twitching. Her head felt like it was spinning, increasing her confusion. She felt something on her back but didn't panic, as Ichigo was the only one who would do that. Rukia whined and pressed her small frame closer to Ichigo's powerful build, almost as if she was trying to hide. Ichigo placed his large paw over her protectively, pulling her even closer to him. Rukia nuzzled Ichigo, who nuzzled her back and licked her muzzle lovingly. Rukia sighed contently and went back to sleep, her head placed comfortably on his chest,

Daiki watched the whole thing, being quiet so that he didn't scare Rukia. When Rukia started whining, he feared that she was starting to wake up. He noticed that Rukia calmed down immediately when Ichigo licked her and pulled her close to him. Daiki knew right then and there that he wasn't going to separate them. Both Ichigo and Rukia would go to live with Daiki, who no longer lived with his parents and owned a large house built on 600 acres of woods and farmland.

"_**Let's drop Rukia off at the Center first. I will take you and the dog back to your house when she is settled," **_Sai said, about to turn down the drive towards the Wolf Preserve.

"_**No. If these two are separated Rukia will become depressed and be a target for the rest of the pack. Plus I don't think you would want to face my big boy while trying to separate them. I have plenty of space at the house and was planning on bringing a few of the wolves there for a change of scenery," **_Daiki told his friend, who nodded and drove Daiki to his house.

Feeling the strange contraption stop and turn off, Ichigo opened his jaws in a yawn. Rukia shifted slightly, still sleeping off the sedative. The door opened, making Ichigo turn his head to see Sai. Ichigo pulled his lips back and bared his fangs, giving Sai a warning. Sai flinched and backed away, giving Ichigo space.

"_**I think you should get this guy out of the car,"**_ Sai said, looking over his shoulder at his friend. Daiki laughed and nodded.

"_**Alright boy. Time to get out," **_Daiki said, gently putting the slip-lead around Ichigo's thick-furred neck.

Ichigo looked at Rukia and nudged her shoulder gently, making her groan in her sleep. Daiki smiled and whistled softly, making Ichigo stand and jump out of the car. Daiki followed Ichigo, who had his nose to the ground and was taking in the new scents. Stopping at a tree, Ichigo lifted his leg and marked the tree. When he finished, Ichigo shook dirt off his thick fur.

Ichigo turned around, only to see Sai standing near the van and holding the still sleeping Rukia. A deep growl rumbled in his chest, catching Daiki's attention. Confused, he looked around and spotted Sai. He felt a hard tug on the handle of the slip-lead and immediately looked at Ichigo, who was pulling at the end of the leash and barking aggressively.

"_**Sai, put Rukia down. Could you pick the girls up from school for me? I want this guy to calm down," **_Daiki asked his friend.

"_**He really doesn't seem to like me. I guess it's because I shot a tranq at little Rukia. I will go pick the girls up for you," **_Sai replied. Daiki thanked him and watched him drive away.

"_**It's ok boy. He wasn't going to hurt her. He was just going to take her inside for me. How about we take your girl inside and make her comfortable? I have a thick blanket she can lay on. How does that sound?" **_Daiki told Ichigo, who wagged his tail and looked at Rukia.

Daiki patted Ichigo's back and took the leash off him. Ichigo barked and trotted over to the house, sitting near the door and waiting for Rukia. Daiki carefully picked Rukia up and walked over to the door, fumbling to open it. He got the door open and stepped inside, closing it when Ichigo trotted in.

Ichigo glanced around, ears flicking back and forth. He walked around, taking in the new scents. He glanced around and spotted the blanket Daiki mentioned. He grabbed a hold of it and dragged it over to the couch, sitting next to it and looking at Daiki.

Daiki placed Rukia on the blanket, scratched her head, and walked into the kitchen. Ichigo whined and nipped Rukia's ear, causing her to wake up and growl at him. Ichigo pinned his ears back and stood up, trotting over to see what Daiki was doing. Rukia whined and carefully stood up, slowly trotting over to Ichigo and nudging his shoulder apologetically. Ichigo touched her cheek with his nose, wagging his curled tail and looking back at Daiki.

"_**I see your girl woke up. I bet you are hungry too. My little sisters will be home soon, so be nice big guy. You too little girl,"**_ Daiki said, patting Ichigo on the head.

Ichigo felt Rukia press herself against him and placing her head on his back, tail wagging. Daiki watched them, smiling softly. He remembered Isshin and Masaki being sweet with each other, figures that their pup would be the same. Daiki grabbed a bowl filled with water and put it down. He walked into another room and opened a large freezer, grabbing a 20 pound raw pork loin and taking it back into the kitchen.

Ichigo watched Daiki cut up the meat and placing it in another bowl on the floor. Rukia dove right in, tearing the meat apart and growling. Ichigo sat next to her, curled tail waving and back and forth contently. Daiki laughed and sat at the counter, eating a sandwich that he put in the fridge that morning.

A click was heard, causing Ichigo to quietly trot into the hall and stare at the door. Rukia glanced up and looked towards the door, then went back to eating. The door opened and what appeared to be 3 young girls ran right passed Ichigo and into Daiki's waiting arms, startling Ichigo slightly. The door closed and Ichigo saw Sai, who stared at him and walked into the kitchen. Ichigo followed him, keeping a close eye on him. He was surprised to see Rukia licking one of the human pups, who was laughing and hugging her.

"_**How was your day?" **_Daiki asked his little sisters.

"_**It was boring. Kaya and Seina were drawing to whole time."**_

"_**Yeah, Kaya and I were drawing to make the day end faster. Ayame was reading. It was stuff we learned yesterday," **_Seina told her brother.

Daiki is the oldest, being only 25 years of age. He is a security guard and the caretaker of the Wolf Preserve where Rukia grew up. He also takes care of his little sisters, as their parents moved out of the country. Kaya is 7, Ayame is 9, and Seina is 10.

"_**I know it's boring. It was the same when I was your age."**_ Daiki laughed.

"_**Uh Daiki, a little help please?"**_ Sai asked, staring at Ichigo, who was blocking the hall and glaring at him.

Daiki turned to see what Sai needed. His eyes landed on the large dog and sighed. He was about to stand up when a flash of black fur caught his eye. Looking up, Daiki saw Rukia licking Ichigo's muzzle and nuzzling his thick-furred shoulder. Sai took the opportunity and left the house, waving to Daiki over his shoulder.

"_**Rukia! Come here girl!"**_ Seina called, causing Rukia to nip Ichigo gently and trot over to the girl.

Ichigo followed, lying down a few feet away. Rukia turned to look at him and whined. Ichigo stood and trotted over to her, nudging her gently and lay next to her. The young girls looked at Ichigo, confused. They were used to Rukia, as Daiki would bring her home as a young-wolf and take care of her when the pack couldn't. Ichigo looked at them, tilting his head curiously.

"_**Hey big brother. Who is the dog?"**_ Ayame asked, looking at the huge orange and black dog.

"_**This big guy? He was with Rukia when I found her, wouldn't let me leave him behind. But guess what I found out about him?"**_ Daiki told them, tossing a piece of chicken to Rukia.

"_**Really? Why would such a beautiful dog have no home? What did you find out?"**_ Seina asked, Ayame and Kaya nodding.

"_**You remember playing with a long-haired German Shepherd when you were little? How about the goofy Akita?" **_Daiki asked his little sisters.

"_**You mean Saki and Shin? I remember them disappearing and you coming home and arguing with mom," **_Kaya said.

"_**Yeah, I miss playing with Isshin and Masaki. Isshin was funny to watch," **_Seina told him, looking at him with sad eyes.

"_**I miss them too. But I have a feeling they are ok. Plus, this big boy is their pup," **_Daiki said, smiling and walking over to the girls.

"_**You mean it?! He is Masaki's pup? How old is he? Can we name him?" **_Seina, Kaya, and Ayame asked excitedly.

"_**I mean it. I am guessing that he is just over 3 years old, because his mother was about to have puppies before our parents got rid of them 3 years ago. You can give him a name if you want," **_Daiki said, laughing at his excited little sisters.

Ichigo watched the human pups with soft, golden eyes. they reminded him of his little sisters, who he hoped were still safe. Rukia nuzzled his shoulder affectionately, making him moan softly and flop on his side. She looked at him, beautiful violet eyes shining lovingly. Ichigo lifted his head and licked Rukia's chin, then placed his head on her paws.

"Are you ok, Ichigo? I miss them too. I am sure they are fine. We will see them again," Rukia told him, licking his muzzle soothingly.

"I'm ok. I hope so," Ichigo said tiredly, drifting off to sleep. Rukia placed her head on his thick-furred neck, watching Daiki.

"_**How about Ichigo? He looks like a very strong dog," **_Seina said

"_**Why are you calling him Strawberry? Sounds weird," **_Kaya laughed.

"_**It also means **_One who Protects_**. I think it is a good name. I can tell you that he is very protective of little Rukia," **_Daiki said, looking at them.

"_**Now that that is settled, time for bed," **_Daiki told his sisters, who groaned and walked to their rooms and got ready for the night.

Daiki bent down and pet Rukia's head, then walked down the hall to his room. Rukia slowly stood, making Ichigo groan and wake up. She touched his cheek with her nose and made her way to the room that the little girls shared, jumping onto the end of one of the beds and falling asleep. Instinctually, Ichigo trotted through and checked all the rooms. He made his way to the room that Rukia was in, licking each girls' hand and lay down next to the bed of the youngest girl. Ichigo watched the doorway for a couple minutes then placed his head on his large paws and fell asleep, wondering what the next few days would bring.


	5. The Pack, Gunshot, and Seeing Future

Ichigo was the first to wake the next morning. Yawning, he stood up and stretched. He walked quietly out of the room, letting Rukia and the human pups sleep some more. He padded through the house, checking every room and smelling everything. Spotting a small door Ichigo trotted over and slipped through, taking him outside.

Ichigo looked around, ears pricked and tail waving. He walked around, stopping at a tree and lifting his leg to mark it. He explored for a little, stretching his muscles and getting used to the new territory. After awhile, Ichigo shook himself and loped back to the house. As soon as he walked inside, a flash of black fur slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. Ichigo groaned and looked up, golden eyes getting lost in a sea of beautiful violet ones. He smiled softly and licked Rukia's muzzle lovingly.

Rukia whined and lay next to Ichigo, nudging his shoulder and licking his paw. Ichigo placed his huge paw over her small one, nuzzling her cheek. Rukia nipped his chin and stood up, tail wagging contently. Ichigo stood up, rubbing his strong body against her small frame and trotted towards the front room with Rukia following.

"_Hey boy. Where did you run off to? Were you checking the place out?"_ Daiki said, looking up from reading a newspaper. Ichigo wagged his tail.

Ichigo glanced around, ears pricked forward. A loud ring caused Ichigo to pin his ears back and growl. Sharp gold eyes watched as Daiki answered the phone. Daiki nodded a couple of times and groaned, listening to what the other person was saying.

"_Ok. You can bring them over. What? No, it will be fine. He will be ok with them. I told you it will be fine. Yeah, they can come too. Ok. See you when you get here,"_ Daiki said, hanging up the phone.

"_We are going to have some visitors, so be nice ok boy?"_ Daiki said, patting Ichigo on the head.

Ichigo flicked an ear back, listening for a door. Daiki walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet, pulling out pancake mix for breakfast. Rukia trotted after him, sitting and watching Daiki cook. She glanced over at Ichigo, violet eyes shining. Ichigo whined, then trotted into the girls' room. Walking over to each bed, Ichigo bit the covers and pulled them back. The girls whined and swatted at Ichigo, who rolled his golden eyes and wagged his tail.

Ichigo licked the girls' faces, making them laugh and wake up. Ayame and Seina tried to get Kaya out of bed, only to sigh and run into the kitchen. Ichigo whined and looked at Kaya, who slowly got out of bed. Ichigo placed his mouth on her arm gently, curled tail wagging and golden eyes softening.

Kaya laughed and followed Ichigo, who had let go of her arm and trotted to the kitchen. Kaya clambered onto the chair, Ichigo laying next to the chair and letting Kaya step on him to get into her seat. Daiki watched, surprised that the large feral dog would let his sister do that. Ichigo glanced at Daiki and rolled his eyes, letting out a soft groan. Daiki shook his head and went back to eating breakfast.

Rukia sat next to Seina, whining and nudging her arm. Seina slipped her a piece of the pancake. Rukia licked her hand and trotted over to Ichigo, who stood up and nibbled her muzzle. Rukia snapped at him and ran to the door, whipping around and dropping into a play-bow.

Ichigo bolted over to her, placing a large paw on her shoulder and his head on top of hers. Rukia growled playfully. Ichigo circled her, curled tail waving like a banner. Rukia stood still, violet eyes soft with her tail down and relaxed to the side. Ichigo smelled every inch of her, nudging her and whining softly. Rukia licked his muzzle, then walked out the small door. Ichigo sat and watched the door, whining anxiously.

"_Rukia and Ichigo must really like each other. I don't remember Rukia ever letting any of the males in her pack do that," _Seina told Daiki, who nodded.

Before Daiki could respond, a knock was heard. Ichigo let out a growl, hackled going up and ears pricked forward. Daiki walked to the door and opened it, letting Sai in. Sai hung his jacket up and whistled to Ichigo, who tilted his head and stare with golden eyes. Ichigo ran out the door, going to lift his leg on a tree. He trotted over to the porch and lay down, watching Rukia run around and fling sticks in the air.

"_Will you look at that? I have never seen her that energetic,_ Sai said, making Daiki look out the window to see Rukia running circles around Ichigo.

"_You should have been her 10 minutes ago. She was flirting with Ichigo. She got upset when he went outside when we woke up. She knocked him over as soon as he came back inside," _Daiki replied, watching Ichigo wrestle with Rukia gently.

"_That name suits him well. How was he with your sisters?" _Sai asked, spotting the girls run outside and lunging at Ichigo.

"_He is actually real good with them. He surprised me by letting Kaya step on him to get into her chair. I think he takes more after Masaki. So, which ones did you bring for me?" _Daiki asked his friend, who was watching Ichigo and Rukia play with the girls.

"_Hm, let me think. The alpha pair, the white and brown males, the big red male, and a black-phase female. Oh, I found a pair of Siberian Huskies were tied to the Center gate this morning. They look pretty skinny," _Sai told him, following him outside.

"_Ok. Let's get them settled. The guys you brought are fine with my sisters. We will let them out first, then see how the huskies are," _Daiki replied, closing the gate before walking over to the van.

Daiki opened the door to the van, letting the pack out one at a time. the alpha male jumped out of the crate first, followed by the alpha female. The white and brown males got out next, followed by a black-phase female. The large red male flew out of the crate and ran straight into a bush, making Sai and Daiki laugh. A flash of black leapt out of the van and ran over to the red male, whining and catching Sai by surprise.

"_Sai, isn't that one of your dogs?" _Daiki asked, looking at the black dog nudging the dazed red male.

"_Yeah, I was wondering where she went. I thought I left her at the Center with my other two dogs. Sorry about that," _Sai said, smiling apologetically.

"_It's fine. I think she was upset that you put the red male in the van and didn't bring her too. You never see them too far from each other," _Daiki laughed, slapping Sai on the back.

Daiki opened the crates with the Siberian Huskies, who jumped out of the crate and ran over to Ichigo. Daiki watched, wondering what the large male Akita/German Shepherd would do with the pack and the huskies. One of the huskies walked over to Ichigo, tail wagging happily. Ichigo touched noses with the husky, then walked over to a tree and lay down.

"_You are leaving for a trip tomorrow right? How about you bring your other 2 dogs over and I will watch them while you are on vacation?"_ Daiki told Sai, who nodded and left to pick up his dogs. Daiki called to his little sisters, who ran over and followed him inside to eat lunch.

Ichigo sprawled on his side, relaxing. Rukia loped over to him, nipping his tail and ears. Ichigo groaned and lifted his head, gazing at her with soft golden eyes. Rukia pulled her lips back in a grin, tail wagging. She glanced around, violet eyes widening when she spotted her pack. Whining, Rukia took a step back. Ichigo stood up and stretched, Rukia pressing her small body against his powerful and protective build.

"Hey there, Rukia! How have you been? We wondered where you ran off to. Your sister was really worried," a white-furred male said, trotting over.

"Yeah, your brother had a hard time trying to keep her calm. He has been on a short fuse since you took off. Right, Jushiro?" a brown male said, joining the white-furred male.

"If you didn't pick on him so much, then you wouldn't have to have your tail bitten the whole time. Isn't that right, Shunsui?" a black-phase female said, appearing behind the two males. The brown male's eyes lit up and he turned to look at the female.

"Hey there, my sweet little Nanao. My lovely, lovely Nanao!" Shunsui said, pulling his lips back in a big smile and licking her muzzle. Nanao growled and turned her head, not wanting him to see her eye softening.

Jushiro is 7 years old and stands 29 inches at the shoulder. His fur is the color of snow and his eyes green. He is kind, caring, and laid-back. He tends to have respiratory problems and gets sick often. He is Shunsui's littermate.

Shunsui is 7 years old and stands 29 inches at the shoulder. He has brown fur and grey eyes. He is kind, caring, and quite lazy. He is serious when it is needed. He constantly flirts with his mate, Nanao. He is Jushiro's littermate.

Nanao is 4 years old and stands 25 inches at the shoulder. She has jet black fur and blue eyes with a violet tint. She is kind, caring, and stubborn. She is Shunsui's mate. She will discipline Shunsui when she thinks he is being overly persistent with the flirting, which he allows without complaint.

"Ju… Jushiro? Sorry to cause you so much trouble. I felt like something was calling me, and I wanted to find out what it was," Rukia said, pinning her ears back and lowering her head. Ichigo nudged her shoulder gently, whining in concern. Jushiro looked at Ichigo, recognizing him immediately.

"Rukia! Are you ok? Do you know how worried I was?" a soft voice said, quickly followed by a coughing fit.

"Hisana, calm down. Don't strain yourself dear. You are still recovering. Rukia, do you know how upset Hisana was when you disappeared?"

"It's ok, Byakuya-sama."

Byakuya is 5 years old and stands 28 inches at the shoulder. He has jet-black fur and silver-grey eyes. He has a lean build. He is stoic and calm, but can have a quick temper. He is Hisana's mate and the Alpha male of the Kuchiki Pack.

Hisana is 5 years old and stands 25 inches at the shoulder. She has black fur and violet eyes with a hint of blue. She has a sweet disposition. Unfortunately, she tends to get sick often. She is Byakuya's mate and Rukia's older sister.

"I am sorry Nii-sama, Hisana-nee. I didn't mean to make you worry," Rukia said, lowering her head and tail and walking over to her sister.

"I am so glad that you are safe. Just don't scare me like that again," Hisana said, nudging her little sister affectionately.

Ichigo watched as Rukia greeted her sister, who whined and licked her muzzle. Glancing around, Ichigo saw Nanao beating up on Shunsui. Byakuya stared at Ichigo, who nudged Rukia gently and lay down. Rukia nipped Ichigo's shoulder, tail wagging.

"You certainly grew quite a bit since I last saw you, Ichigo," Jushiro said, causing Shunsui and Hisana to look at Ichigo.

"It has been a long time. Rukia never stopped searching for you. It is so good to see you, little Ichi," Hisana said softly, smiling and licking his shoulder.

"I am glad to see that you are doing well Jushiro, Hisana. Thank you for keeping Rukia safe, Byakuya," Ichigo said, pulling his lips in a smile.

Growling reached Ichigo's ears and he whipped his head around, golden eyes landing on a fight that broke out. He leapt to his paws and bolted over, throwing himself into the fight. Rukia watched, whining anxiously. Snarling and snapping was heard causing Daiki and Sai, who had returned with his dogs, run out of the house and towards the fight. Sai hollered, trying to stop the fight.

Ichigo snarled, snapping at the two fighting males and biting the red male wolf on the shoulder. The red male that was bitten turned his head and snapped at Ichigo, ignoring the one who he was fighting. Ichigo feinted to the side and turned his head, grabbing the wolf by his neck and throwing him to the ground. Ichigo pinned the wolf, biting down on his muzzle hard. The wolf relented, tucking his tail. Ichigo let go of his muzzle and turned, looking at the dog.

Ichigo watched as the husky who had greeted him earlier ran over to her companion, whining in concern. The male husky groaned, turning his attention to the female and nudging her gently. Ichigo flicked an ear, listening to the red wolf complaining. Ichigo sighed, sitting down. Daiki and Sai were amazed that Ichigo was able to break up a fight, especially with the red male wolf.

"YOU IDIOT! What is the matter with you, Renji?" Rukia snarled, running over and biting Renji's tail hard.

"OW OW OW! Damn it Rukia! Why do yoy keep doing that? It really hurts," Renji yelped.

"I see that you haven't changed a bit, Renji," Ichigo said, causing Renji to turn and get a good look at him. Renji's eyes widened, finally recognizing his old friend.

"I…Ichigo?" Renji asked, standing and walking up to him.

"Hey," Ichigo said, pulling his lips back in a grin.

Renji is 3 years old and stands 30 inches at the shoulder. He is a Timber Wolf with red fur and brown eyes. He can be quite cocky, but will easily become depressed if he loses a fight. He was good friends with Ichigo and Rukia when they were small-pups.

"Um… excuse me. Thank you for stopping the fight. I would be heartbroken if Toushiro got really hurt. He is all I have," a voice said, making Ichigo and Renji turn to see the female husky.

"Don't worry about me, Momo. I'm not going anywhere," Toushiro said, licking her muzzle affectionately.

"I'm sorry for teasing you," Renji said, lowering his head and tail. Toushiro nodded and looked at Ichigo, who was sprawled on his side a couple feet away and napping.

Toushiro is a 2 year old Siberian Husky, standing 24 inches at the shoulder. He has white fur and green eyes. He is extremely protective of his mate, Momo. He tends to snap if someone constantly annoys him.

Momo is a 2 year old Siberian Husky, standing 23 inches at the shoulder. She has brown and white fur with brown eyes. She is kind and caring, but can have a quick temper. She is extremely loyal and affectionate to her mate, Toushiro.

Rukia talked to her sister, who questioned her about her relationship with Ichigo. Byakuya sat next to Hisana, listening to their conversation. Jushiro followed Seina around the yard, licking her hand. Shunsui ran circles around Nanao, who nipped his tail every time he ran in front of her. Toushiro and Momo chased each other playfully, not straying far from the sleeping Ichigo. Renji trotted over to the black female dog and licked her muzzle.

"Tatsuki! There you are! I was so worried!"

"She's fine Orihime. Renji is here too."

"Oh! I see him now! You're the best Uryu!"

"I'm fine Orihime. It looks like we are going to stay for a few days."

Tatsuki is a 3 year old German Shepherd. She stands 25 inches at the shoulder. She has black fur and blue eyes. She is protective of Orihime and affectionate to Renji. She can be aggressive at times and will not hesitate to fight others. She is Renji's mate. She is one of Sai's dogs.

Orihime is a 3 year old Belgian Malinios. She stands 25 inches at the shoulder. She is a fawn with a black muzzle and brown eyes. She is kind, caring, and clumsy. She is Tatsuki's best friend and Uryu's mate. She is another of Sai's dogs.

Uryu is a 3 year old Dutch Shepherd. He stands 27 inches at the shoulder. He is a black and blue brindle with blue eyes. He is stubborn and dominant. He is extremely loyal, over-protective, and affection with his mate, Orihime. He is Sai's last and only male dog.

"Really? Sai is probably going on a trip. It's a lot of fun here anyway," Orihime barked happily, causing Uryu to roll his eyes and pull his lips back in a grin.

A couple hours later Daiki whistled and the pack ran over to him, whining and jumping up to lick him. Daiki laughed and opened the door. Almost getting knocked over when they raced inside. Sai handed Daiki a few things and said good bye to his dogs, who wagged their tails and followed the pack into the house. Sai waved to his friend and left to get ready for his trip.

Daiki glanced around, making sure that he didn't leave anyone outside. Toushiro and Momo sat next to Ichigo, who stood up and stretched. He shook the dirt off his thick fur and trotted towards the house, Toushiro and Momo right behind him. Ichigo trotted inside, Toushiro and Momo bolting in after him with their ears pinned and their tails tucked when they passed Daiki. Daiki closed the door and walked into the kitchen, getting dinner ready for his sisters and the pack.

Byakuya walked around the house, reacquainting himself with it. Hisana curled up next to the fireplace, watching her little sister play with Seina. Jushiro played with Ayame. Tatsuki chased Renji around the house, nipping him playfully. Uryu played Tug-of-War with Orihime. Nanao was trying to ignore Shunsui, who was dropping toys and pillows in front of her and whining happily. Momo wrestled with Toushiro, who was being gentle with her. Kaya played with the very tolerant Ichigo, who let her put a blanket on him and socks on his huge paws.

"_Girls, time for dinner," _Daiki hollered, laughing when they scrambled into the kitchen and jumped into their seats.

Ichigo watched the humans eat, stomach starting to growl. He stood and gently pulled the socks off his paws, trotting outside when they were off. Ichigo lifted his muzzle, scenting the air. He caught the scent of a herd of deer on the 600 acre property and trotted in the direction of the scent. Ichigo found the herd a few miles from the house.

Ichigo crouched down, sharp golden eyes watching the herd. A large, old stag caught his attention. Quietly, Ichigo made his way towards the herd. He broke into a full-out run and charged the herd, making them scatter. Closing in on the stag Ichigo lunged, latching his powerful jaws onto its throat and knocking it to the ground. Ichigo crushed the stag's neck, sharp fangs piercing its jugular and killing it instantly. He trotted back to the house, dragging his kill.

Daiki cleaned up after dinner, walking into the front room when he finished. His sisters sat on the couch, watching TV. He sat down with them, the pack lay spread out in the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he heard Rukia whining and scratching at the door. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard close by and Rukia's whines intensified. Daiki jumped up, told his sisters to stay inside, and ran out the door. Rukia's whines turned to howls and she ran through the house, trying to get outside and upsetting the rest of her pack.

Daiki ran through the yard, hearing another gunshot echoing. Snarling was heard, followed by someone hollering in pain. Daiki ran into a clearing on his property and saw Ichigo snapping at an intruder, blood trickling down his hindquarter and splattering the ground. The intruder raised his rifle and pointed it at Ichigo, pulling the trigger. Daiki started to yell at the intruder, trying to stop him. Ichigo feinted to the side and lunged, latching onto the man's arm and flipping him onto the ground.

Daiki rushed forward and kicked the rifle out of the intruder's hands. Ichigo bit down on the man's arm, snarling. Ichigo put more pressure into his bite, making the man stop struggling. Daiki called the police, watching as Ichigo kept the intruder pinned until the authorities arrived. After a couple minutes, shouts were heard and Daiki turned around to see the police. Ichigo held the intruder steady until the police reached him, letting go when the handcuffs were put on. Ichigo backed up, watching the police drag the intruder away.

"_Thank you for calling. We have been trying to catch this guy for a few weeks. We will take him to get his wounds looked at then put him behind bars," _one of the police said, then looked at Ichigo who was staring at the disappearing intruder.

"_Thank you, Kaito. I really appreciate it. I remember reading in the paper that someone was on the run. I just didn't think he would end up here. I feel safe now, knowing that he will be behind bars. I won't have to worry about my little sisters' safety now," _Daiki said, looking at his friend.

"_Actually, I think the one both of us should thank is your dog. We have some dogs in our unit, but I have never seen one have the power to hold someone until we get to them. I have also never seen any of our dogs release without a command. This big boy of yours has a really powerful bite and a lot of potential. He does remind me of one of our dogs though. Who is his sire?"_ Kaito asked, bending down and petting Ichigo.

"_You mean Ichigo? He is a great dog. But I don't think he takes after his sire. He takes more after his grand-sire. I haven't seen the old dog in a while though. His sire was one of the dogs that my parents dumped in the wild 3 years ago while I was still training, a brown and white Akita named Isshin,"_ Daiki replied.

"_Oh geez! That goofy dog is this boy's sire? I can't believe that dog was a son of Zangetsu. He is still alive though, 9 or 10 by now. He actually lives with me, so does his grandson. I should bring them over sometime. It would be good for Zangetsu to see a grandson of his. It would be good for your Ichigo to see his half-brother too," _Kaito said, laughing.

"_Ah, that would be great. Zangetsu and Kaien are always welcome to come and visit,"_ Daiki said, waving goodbye to Kaito.

Daiki watched Kaito leave, then turned to Ichigo. Ichigo limped over to the stag, dragging it towards the house for the pack. Daiki called the vet, letting her know what happened. She arrived as soon as they reached the house. Ichigo pricked his ears, hearing Rukia howling and started to whine anxiously. He went to run to the house to calm her down, but collapsed on his injured leg.

Daiki and the vet crouched down next to him, helping him lie comfortably on his other side. The vet reached into her bag and pulled out a syringe with a local anesthetic, gently injecting it into Ichigo's hindquarter.

The vet shaved the area and disinfected it with alcohol. She took a scalpel and a pair of foreceps out of her bag. Making an incision on the wound, the vet glanced at Ichigo to see his reaction. Ichigo watched her calmly, then lay his head on the ground. After 10 minutes, the vet had removed the bullet and sutured the incision. She put some antibiotic ointment on the incision and bandaged it to keep it clean and dry.

"_There you go boy, good as new. You know Daiki, I am surprised with this guy. Normally I would have to muzzle and sedate a dog to remove something like this. This guy didn't even flinch," _ the vet said.

"_Ichigo is tough alright, but he is really gentle with my little sisters and the two new dogs that Sai brought over. I have only had him for 2 days but he is a great dog, especially considering where he came from," _Daiki said, patting Ichigo's head.

"_You've only had him 2 days?" _the vet asked.

"_Yeah. Remember when one of the wolves escaped from the Center a month ago? I found her at the edge of the pack's old territory two days ago. Sai was able to tranq her, but this guy was with her and wouldn't let Sai anywhere near her. He seems to be very protective of her, so I knew that he would inflict some damage if I took little Rukia away from him. I figured it would be best to keep them together. Don't you think so, Juri?"_ Daiki said to Juri, whose eyes widened as she looked at Ichigo.

"_He doesn't seem feral, considering that he didn't go after me when I was taking the bullet out of his leg. Don't forget to check it a few times a day and call me if he is lethargic or it starts getting infected. I will come by sometime tomorrow to check on Hisana and Jushiro. Also the two dogs you said Sai dropped off," _Juri told Daiki, who nodded. Juri turned to leave, but froze and stared behind Daiki.

Daiki turned and followed Juri's gaze. Ichigo had limped over to the house, dragging the stag that he had killed before being shot. Juri watched as Ichigo dropped the carcass, staring at the door and letting out a deep howl. She saw a small flash of black fur run over to the large orange and black male Akita/German Shepherd, whining and licking his muzzle frantically. Juri saw Ichigo nuzzle Rukia and licking her shoulder lovingly, holding his injured leg up slightly. Rukia nudged him gently, then walked over to the carcass and tearing into it. Ichigo lay next to Rukia, curled tail waving back and forth contently.

"_I bet the pack is getting upset smelling that. I will see you tomorrow. I have to get my sisters ready for bed," _Daiki said, hugging Juri and waving.

Juri waved goodbye and left. Daiki opened the door, almost getting knocked over when the pack bolted out the door to eat the stag carcass. He walked inside to help his sisters get ready for bed, leaving the door open so the pack could come back in when they were done eating. Daiki tried to comfort Kaya and Ayame, who were crying because Ichigo had gotten hurt.

The pack devoured the carcass within 10 minutes, fighting over the best parts. They trotted inside with bloated stomachs. Byakuya and Hisana curled up next to the fireplace. Jushiro slept on the bed next to Ayame, head placed on her pillow. Renji and Tatsuki were curled up on the couch. Uryu and Orihime were sprawled on their sides next to the couch. Shunsui crept closer to Nanao, who kept snapping at him until she decided to just ignore him and going to sleep. Shunsui licked her muzzle and placed his head on her back. Toushiro and Momo fell asleep next to Seina's bed, Toushiro with his head on Momo's paws.

"Are you ok Ichigo? I was really worried," Rukia whined, nudging Ichigo gently.

"Yeah, I'm ok. You don't have to worry about me. A bullet wound won't be able to knock me down. I'm just glad that it wasn't you. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You mean the world to me, my Rukia," Ichigo said softly, turning his golden eyes to look at her lovingly.

"Just don't make me worry again. I would rather die than lose you. I love you, Ichigo," Rukia said, nuzzling her head into his thick-furred chest and breathing in his scent.

"I love you too, Rukia," Ichigo growled soothingly, taking her muzzle in his mouth softly. Rukia pressed herself against his side, helping him walk to the human pup's room.

Getting ready to go to bed, Daiki made one last trip and locked all the doors. Yawning, he walked down the hall and peered into his little sisters' room. He smiled at what he saw. Kaya had placed a blanket on the ground for Ichigo, who was sprawled on his side. Rukia lay next to him, back pressed against his stomach and his leg draped over her protectively. Kaya was sleeping on the floor next to him, face hidden in his thick fur and her arm draped over his thick-furred neck in a hug. Daiki quietly walked over and placed a thick blanket over them. He left the room quietly, falling asleep as soon as he hit the bed. As the canine and human pack slept, Ichigo and Rukia sensed that something was going to happen soon. Something that would bring happiness and great joy.


	6. Mates, Grandparents and Brother, Pups

A week has passed since Ichigo received a bullet wound in his hindquarter. Daiki made sure to check the incision, changing the bandages twice a day. He made sure to keep Ichigo as quiet and comfortable as possible, so that he didn't re-injure and tear the sutures. Seina, Ayame, and Kaya spoiled Ichigo, brushing him every day and sneaking him table-scrapes.

Uryu and Orihime slowly accepted Toushiro and Momo, who seemed to be very skittish around everyone except Ichigo and Rukia. They never strayed far from Ichigo, especially when they were outside. Orihime would talk to Ichigo, who would tell her a few things and nod off because of the antibiotics and a small painkiller. Uryu would tease him, trying to issue challenges. Renji would tease him, joking about how the 'Great and Power' Ichigo was not fast enough to avoid being shot. Needless to say, Renji would always end up with multiple bite wounds.

Rukia became severely over-protective of Ichigo. If the pack was playing rough to close to him, she would snap at them. When Uryu and Renji teased and challenged Ichigo, Rukia would flat-out attack them. When this happens, not even Byakuya could stop or snap her out of it. Only a soft bark from Ichigo would calm her immediately.

Daiki was quite surprised by Rukia's aggression towards her pack, including the Alpha Male. Daiki watched as the large black-phase male repeatedly tried to discipline his mate's sister, with no luck. As he watched, Daiki noticed that the small she-wolf's aggression emerged whenever the pack got too close or when two of the males would try and challenge the injured Akita/German Shepherd male. He was surprised to see Rukia's aggression disappear completely whenever Ichigo let out a bark or licked her muzzle. He was also stunned when Rukia only allowed Hisana, Jushiro, Toushiro, and Momo anywhere near Ichigo.

Juri stopped by every other day to check on Ichigo and examine Hisana, Jushiro, Toushiro, and Momo. She also hung out with Daiki when he wasn't working. Hisana recovered completely from her last illness, running around and playing with Byakuya. Toushiro and Momo put on some weight, looking much better than when they first came. Strangely, Momo seemed to have put on more weight than Toushiro. Daiki was a little confused, but didn't think anything of it.

"_Alright boy. I have to go. The girls and I have to run a few errands. Make sure your girl doesn't beat anyone else up," _ Daiki said, patting Ichigo on the shoulder and walking out the door with his sisters.

Ichigo placed his head on his large paws, keeping an eye on the pack. Shunsui flirted with Nanao, licking her muzzle and placing a paw on her back. Nanao growled and snapped at Shunsui, who whined and nuzzled her. Byakuya snapped at Renji, who kept pulling on his tail. Renji pinned his ears back and grumbled, trotting over to play with Tatsuki. Hisana napped on the couch, Byakuya jumping onto the couch next to her. Orihime pulled on Uryu's ears and tail, causing him to nibble on her check to try and make her stop.

Standing up slowly, Ichigo walked through the small door and into the yard. He walked over to a bush and lifted his leg, marking it. Golden eyes scanned the area, searching. Ichigo sighed and trotted to the porch, lying down. Ichigo flicked an ear back, turning his head to see Rukia sitting next to him.

"You ok? You aren't hurting anywhere?" Rukia whined, nudging Ichigo's muzzle.

"I'm fine. Still a little stiff, but I will be ok. I'm just wondering how my pack is. I bet the old man is getting on Karin's nerves," Ichigo said, licking Rukia's paw.

"I'm sure they are fine. Your dad won't let anything happen to them. We will figure out a way to see them again," Rukia said, nuzzling Ichigo.

"I know. But if that pup so much as lay a paw on Yuzu, I will make sure that he never sires a litter," Ichigo growled, standing up and stretching.

"Ichigo! If Yuzu whelps a litter, it would be her choice to make," Rukia replied, watching Ichigo pace back and forth in front of her.

"She is just a pup! She wouldn't know how to take care of a litter or how to protect herself. The worst part is that I won't be there to keep her safe," Ichigo said, pulling his lips back and snarling.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered, pinning her ears back and tucking her tail between her legs.

Ichigo stopped pacing and looked at Rukia, golden eyes softening. He trotted over, rubbing his powerful frame against her small and lean build. Rukia whined, burying her muzzle in his thick fur and licking his injured hindquarter. Ichigo placed his head on her hindquarter, letting out a moan. Rukia nuzzled him, tail relaxing and hanging to the side.

A strong metallic scent reached Ichigo's nose, causing him to stiffen up. Lifting his muzzle Ichigo scented the air, trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. He looked at Rukia, the metallic scent over-powering his nose and making his golden eyes widen. He recognized the scent, having smelled it on his mother on and off for two years before his little sisters were born.

Rukia whined, sensing Ichigo's hesitation. Rukia was in the middle of her first heat, which is rare at three years of age. Normally, a female has her first heat between one and two years of age. Being the Kuchiki Pack's caretaker, Daiki had gotten worried when Rukia turned one year with no signs of a heat. Juri had examined Rukia, only to find the small she-wolf in excellent health. The same thing happened the following year, only to have the same result.

Ichigo nuzzled Rukia, whining softly. Rukia was in heat and Ichigo wasn't sure what to do. He wanted Rukia to be his mate, but was afraid that something would happen to her if she whelped a litter. Sensing Ichigo's concern, Rukia nuzzled him and nibbled on his chin. Ichigo gazed into her sparkling violet eyes lovingly, pulling his lips back in a soft smile.

Rukia slapped her paws to the ground in a play-bow, tail wagging excitedly. Ichigo wagged his tail, running towards the woods. Stopping, he turned to see Rukia loping after him. Ichigo dropped into a play-bow, then flashed off into the forest. Rukia ran after him, jumping over fallen trees and trying to knock him over. Ichigo laughed and feinted to the side.

Ichigo licked Rukia's muzzle, placing a large paw on her back. Rukia nuzzled his thick-furred neck, taking in the scent that she loved and made her feel safe. She whipped her hindquarters in front of Ichigo's nose, teasing him. Ichigo growled, nipping her hip. Rukia let out a moan, tail relaxing to the side, waiting for Ichigo.

"A..are you sure about this?" Ichigo growled softly.

"Of course. You are the world to me. I want to be your mate. I want to carry your pups," Rukia said, licking Ichigo's muzzle lovingly. Ichigo smiled softly and nibbled Rukia's cheek affectionately.

Rukia nudged Ichigo and turned, swinging her hind-end towards him with her tail to the side. Ichigo rubbed his head against her hip, nipping her leg. Rukia shifted her hind-end, relaxing her tail even more and letting out a sigh. Ichigo mounted Rukia and swiftly thrust his hips forward, fully sheathing his member inside her. Ichigo groaned, feeling Rukia's walls constrict around him.

Rukia whined, feeling a little painful as it was her first time mating. Ichigo didn't move yet, waiting until she relaxed. Rukia let out a sigh, letting Ichigo know that she was ready. Ichigo pulled out slightly and thrust his hips forward, sheathing himself in her again. His front legs held onto Rukia's sides, keeping him steady.

Ichigo's pace increased, making Rukia's whines turn to moans. He bucked his hips, rapidly thrusting his thick member further inside Rukia. Ichigo growled soothingly to her, distracting her as he pulled out and thrust himself back inside her. Rukia whined, feeling Ichigo swell inside her even more.

An hour had passed since Ichigo and Rukia ran into the woods and Ichigo had mounted her. Ichigo's thrusts became more rapid and powerful, amazing Rukia with his stamina. Her walls constricted his engorged member even more, making his pace increase. After a few more thrusts Ichigo released inside Rukia, drowning her womb with his seeds. Ichigo dismounted Rukia and turned, still tied to her. After five minutes, Ichigo pulled out.

Rukia whined, licking Ichigo's muzzle lovingly. Ichigo nudged her gently, nibbling her shoulder. They walked back to the house, Rukia pressing up against Ichigo. As they approached the house, a flash of white fur skid to a halt in front of Ichigo. Ichigo glanced down to see Toushiro, who appeared to be trembling.

"You ok, Toushiro? You seem upset about something," Ichigo said.

"It's Momo. She has been whining and looks like she is in pain. I don't know what to do," Toushiro whined.

"Show me," Ichigo said, making Toushiro nod and run into the house.

Ichigo bolted in behind Toushiro, Rukia following behind slowly. Whining reached Ichigo's ears, making him stop and listen. Ichigo glanced around, the pack nowhere to be seen. He flicked an ear and turned to look down the hallway, catching sight of the pack. He trotted over and pushed his way through the pack, growling at them.

Byakuya snapped at Ichigo, tearing into his shoulder. Ichigo snarled, biting Byakuya's shoulder and rolling him onto his back. Ichigo let go of Byakuya, walking into the room. Byakuya was about to follow when Rukia ran over and snapped at him, following Ichigo inside with Toushiro right behind her.

Byakuya pinned his ears back, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Renji, who stood closer to the black-furred Alpha, backed up and sat down. Tatsuki nudged Renji, whining. Uryu and Orihime lay down, keeping an eye on Byakuya. Nanao glanced into the room, head tilted to the side. Shunsui and Jushiro glanced at the agitated Byakuya, pulling their lips back in a grin. They knew that he was embarrassed when Ichigo became dominant over him. Hisana licked Byakuya's muzzle, distracting him.

Ichigo glanced around the room, trying to locate the brown and white Siberian Husky. Rukia nudged Toushiro, who was panicking. Golden eyes caught sight of movement under one of the human pup's beds. Ichigo pricked his ears, hearing what sounded like high-pitched whimpers. Ichigo's golden eyes softened and his thick-furred curled tail started wagging. Toushiro watched as Ichigo's demeanor softened, confusing him.

Ichigo lay down and looked under the bed, tail waving back and forth. There lay Momo, sprawled on her side with five newborn pups whimpering and squirming around by her stomach. Momo lifted her lips and growled, ears pinned back. Ichigo stood and turned his head to look at Toushiro, flicking an ear towards the bed. Toushiro lowered his head and tail, not sure of what Ichigo wanted. Ichigo glanced at Rukia, who looked at Toushiro and shoved him forward.

Toushiro groaned and lay down, bluish-green eyes widening when they landed on Momo. Momo growled, turning it to a soft whine when she saw that it was Toushiro. She turned her head and nudged her newborn pups, licking them clean. The pups let out a high-pitched squeal, making the wolves standing outside the door jump back.

Rukia let out a whine, violet eyes shining. Toushiro licked Momo's muzzle lovingly, tail wagging excitedly. Suddenly, Ichigo whipped his head around and pricked his ears forward. He trotted out of his room and placed his large paws on the door, looking out the window. He let out a deep bark, alerting the pack to the noise.

Byakuya trotted over, biting Ichigo's leg. Ichigo let out a snarl, lunging and knocking Byakuya onto his side again. Byakuya jumped to his paws and lunged, latching onto Ichigo's shoulder and biting down hard. Ichigo snapped at Byakuya's muzzle, drawing blood.

"_Juri, Kaito. Get over here and help me. Kaito, grab Byakuya. I will get Ichigo. Juri, try and keep the pack in the other room," _

Ichigo felt something loop around his thick-furred neck, Byakuya feeling the same sensation. They were suddenly pulled apart, still growling at each other. Ichigo snarled, whipping around and seeing Daiki holding the end of a slip-lead.

"_Damn it! Daiki, two of the wolves are heading your way," _Juri hollered, making Daiki look up and see two of the she-wolves running over.

"_It's fine. Actually, these two will be able to calm these big boys down. Good thing my sisters are spending the night at their friends," _Daiki said, watching as Rukia calmed Ichigo and Hisana calmed Byakuya.

Ichigo licked Rukia's muzzle, tail wagging excitedly. Hisana nipped Byakuya, who nuzzled her affectionately. Daiki took the lead off Ichigo, Kaito doing the same with Byakuya. The pack ran outside, playing and chasing rabbits and birds. Byakuya and Hisana followed the pack outside, lying under a tree. Toushiro had yet to leave the bedroom, still admiring the pups he sired with Momo.

Kaito watched Ichigo, feeling that he would make a good addition to the Police K9 Unit. He had the build, power, and speed. He also had a strong bite, which would help when the police try to apprehend criminals. Knowing about the dog's heritage, Kaito hoped that Ichigo would be more like his grand-sire. He decided that he would ask Daiki about it later.

"_Daiki. I'm going to bring Kaien, Zangetsu, and Shirayuki in. They are still in the car,"_ Kaito said, watching his friend nod.

"_Sure. You and Juri should spend the night. I was planning on going for a ride on the trails tomorrow, and bring the pack with us. What do you think, Juri?" _Daiki said, looking at Juri. Kaito nodded, running to the car to let his dogs out.

"_That would be great. I heard that a pack of feral dogs was spotted in the area. Hopefully, we might come across them," _Juri replied, running into the room she used when she wants to spend the night. Daiki laughed and walked into the kitchen, getting dinner started and cutting up some raw deer and fish for the pack. Kaito came back inside and headed for the room that he uses when he stays.

"I bet Daiki will be surprised when he finds Momo's pups," Rukia said, nudging Ichigo.

"Probably. All I know is that they will be running around and causing trouble in a couple weeks," Ichigo replied, watching as Toushiro trotted out of the room.

"I guess you are saying this from experience?" Toushiro asked, sitting next to Ichigo.

"I have two younger sisters, who are 6 months old. I was their chew toy right from the start. They got into a lot of trouble," Ichigo laughed, nipping the young snow-colored Siberian Husky. Toushiro groaned and trotted outside.

Ichigo trotted to the girls' room and glanced inside, spotting Momo crawling out from under the bed. She trotted over to Ichigo, licked his chin, and trotted outside. Ichigo walked over to the bed and crawled under, being careful to not squish the newborn pups. He lay next to the pups, keeping them warm until Momo returned.

Rukia sat in the doorway, violet eyes watching Ichigo as he curled up next to Momo's newborn pups. She pulled her lips back, smiling softly. He was very gentle with them, like he was with his little sisters. Rukia's violet eyes softened, knowing that Ichigo would be like this with her pups. She whispered his name softly.

"He is going to be a lot better than the Old Man. At least he won't attack his pups every morning."

"I don't think he will be anything like your sire, Kaien."

"He doesn't resemble his father at all. He reminds me of you in the old days, Zangetsu."

"Ha Ha! Shirayuki obaa-san called you old!"

Kaien is a 4 year old full-blood Akita, standing 28 inches at the shoulder. He has jet black fur and aqua-green eyes. He is loyal, out-spoken, and can be down-to-earth. His is protective and can be dominant at times. He is Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu's half-brother.

Zangetsu is a 9 year old full-blood Akita, standing 29 inches at the shoulder. He is a black and brown brindle with brown eyes. he is very calm and level-headed disposition. He is Shirayuki's mate, Isshin's sire, and grand-sire to Kaien, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin.

Shirayuki is a 9 year old full-blood Akita, standing 26 inches at the shoulder. She has pale lavender fur and dark blue eyes. she is soft-spoken and peaceful, with a kind and friendly disposition. She is Zangetsu's mate, Isshin's mother, and grand-mother to Kaien, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin.

Rukia turned her head, looking at the three Akitas. She pinned her ears back and tucked her tail, stepping back. A flash of brown and white fur caught her eye, as Momo ran back into the room with a full stomach. Ichigo carefully crawled out from under the bed, gently nudging Momo as he trotted past her. He nipped Rukia's shoulder, making her wag her tail and nibble on his muzzle.

"I see why the Old Man gave you that name. Even though those pups aren't yours, I can tell that you won't let anything happen to them. You are just like Zangetsu ojii," Kaien said, making Ichigo look at him in confusion.

"Ichigo doesn't know who we are, Kaien. He was born after Masaki and your sire were turned loose. Your mother raised you well, Ichigo," Zangetsu said, looking at Ichigo calmly.

"How is your mother and that goofy son of mine?" Shirayuki asked, touching noses with Ichigo.

"They were fine before I was caught almost two weeks ago. I just hope the Old Man isn't annoying Yuzu and Karin too much. Who are you though? Oyaji never mentioned you," Ichigo asked, walking to the front room. Rukia, Kaien, Zangetsu, and Shirayuki following him.

"Zangetsu and I are your grand-parents. Kaien is your half-brother," Shirayuki said softly.

"Figures the Old Man wouldn't bother telling me about my grand-parents. I didn't even know that I had an older brother either," Ichigo growled, golden eyes narrowing.

"Daiki's parents studded your father to a full Akita with good working lines. They wanted to get money and to see if he produced a litter that worked like Zangetsu. Kaien was the only one from that litter that turned into an excellent working dog," Shirayuki said, watching as Ichigo trotted into the girls room and jumped onto Kaya's bed, falling asleep.

"Ichigo," Rukia whined, then turned to Zangetsu. "I'm sorry. He normally doesn't act that way,"

"It's alright young one. He is stressed and this was just too much for him to take in right now. Go. Ichigo needs you right now," Zangetsu said softly, nudging Rukia. Rukia trotted into the room Ichigo was in and jumped on the bed, pressing herself against him and drifted off to sleep.

Daiki whistled, almost getting knocked over when the pack ran past him into the house. He locked the doors while Juri and Kaito got ready for bed. Byakuya and Hisana slept next to Juri's bed. Nanao curled up next to Shunsui, her head on his paws and his head on her back.

Jushiro lay sprawled on his side, taking up the couch. Uryu and Orihime curled up next to each other by the fireplace. Renji lay next to Tatsuki, his head placed protectively on her back. Toushiro sprawled on his side, guarding Momo and their newborn pups. Kaien curled up in front of Kaya's bed, Zangetsu and Shirayuki next to him. Daiki, Kaito, and Juri played a few rounds of Rumi before going to bed. Ichigo sensed that something was going to happen soon.


	7. Reunions

Juri was the first to wake the following morning. Pulling back the sheets, she got out of bed and stretched. Byakuya lifted his head, grey eyes watching as Juri took a shower and got dressed. He stood up and followed Juri out of the room, Hisana following behind. Juri walked into the kitchen and started to make breakfast, the smells of bacon, sausage, and pancakes filling the house. The sounds of thuds and complaining made Juri roll her eyes and laugh.

Daiki and Kaito pushed each other in the hall, trying to get to the kitchen first. The scents and commotion woke up the Kuchiki pack, which raced into the kitchen and sat next to Juri, watching her cook. Daiki ran in and sat in a chair, only to be pushed off it by Kaito. Kaito laughed at Daiki, who scowled. Juri shook her head, wondering if her child-hood friends would ever grow up. She put the plates on the table and sat down.

"_How far are we going to ride?" _Juri asked, looking at Daiki

"_I was planning on going to the lake, let the pack run around. Didn't you say that a pack of feral dogs was spotted close by?" _Daiki said, throwing a piece of bacon to Renji.

"_That's right. A client told me that he spotted the pack while he was working his dog. Apparently there are seven of them, and three appeared to be pretty young," _Juri replied, standing up and cleaning her plate.

"_Alright, Lets clean up and go to the stable," _Kaito said, finishing his breakfast and helping his friends clean.

Ichigo jumped off Kaya's bed, landing on Kaien who was still sleeping. Kaien jumped up, barking and growling at his younger half-brother. Toushiro lifted his head, glaring at the brothers. Momo crawled out from under the bed, running to get food and running back to keep her pups warm. Zangetsu and Shirayuki watched as their grand-pups glared at each other, only to be knocked to the ground by Rukia. Ichigo groaned, standing up and nipping Rukia. He pricked his ears forward, hearing Daiki whistle.

"Come on! Let's go!" Kaien barked, racing out of the room with Ichigo and Rukia right behind him.

"Have fun," Toushiro and Momo said. Zangetsu and Shirayuki nodded, trotting after Kaien, Ichigo, and Rukia.

Daiki opened the door, letting the pack run outside first. Juri and Kaito grabbed their jackets and put on their riding boots, leaving food and water for Toushiro before walking outside. Daiki locked the door and turned, walking to the stable with his best friends. Byakuya trotted beside Hisana, growling when Renji leapt over him to escape an agitated Tatsuki. Jushiro chatted with Zangetsu, Shirayuki trotting over to join them. Uryu tried to challenge Ichigo, who glared at him and loped over to Rukia. Orihime chased after Uryu, who grinned. Shunsui nipped Nanao's ear playfully, only to receive a glare from his sweet, lovely mate. Kaien watched his younger half-brother with interest, noticing that the orange and black Akita/German Shepherd behaved identical to himself.

Kaito, Juri, and Daiki walked into the tack-room, grabbing halters and lead ropes. The wolf pack lay down by the trees, the dogs doing the same. They knew that they were not allowed in the stable or paddock. Everyone, that is, except Ichigo. Ichigo trotted around to the paddock, crawling under the fence and sitting next to the water trough. Sharp golden eyes watched as the humans whistled, ears pricked forward when he heard a chorus of whinnies.

"_Hey boy. How are you doing today? Ready to go for a ride?" _Daiki said, patting the neck of a buckskin-colored Mustang stallion.

"_Hey girl. I missed you. Let's go for a ride," _Juri said sweetly, hugging a blue-roan Thoroughbred mare.

"_Hey buddy, let's go for a… Hey! That's not funny! Give that back!" _Kaito whined, making Daiki and Juri turn to see the Quarter Horse gelding galloping around the field with the halter in his mouth and Kaito running after him.

"_Sora giving you trouble again? Maybe if you visited more often he wouldn't do that," _Daiki laughed, leading the stallion to the barn. Juri and Kaito, who finally caught the gelding and put the halter on, right behind him.

"_Hey, Daiki. I thought the pack weren't allowed near the paddock," _Juri asked, looking towards the fence.

"_They aren't. Why?" _Daiki asked.

"_That's why," _Kaito replied, pointing ahead. Daiki turned, spotting Ichigo.

Ichigo stood up and stretched, opening his jaws in a huge yawn. He trotted over, touching noses with each of the horses and loping back to the waiting pack. Kaito whistled, amazed that the large orange and black male semi-feral Akita/German Shepherd had just greeted the horses and returned to the stable. Reaching the barn, they groomed and tacked up the horses. They lead them outside and mounted them.

Daiki rode bareback, using a halter and lead rope. The mustang stallion, Kage, pawed at the ground. Kage nickered at the blue-roan Thoroughbred mare, who Juri named Fuyu. Sora, the Quarter Horse gelding, whinnied at the pack. The pack stood up and waited. Juri rode in an English saddle and Kaito used a Western saddle.

Kage is a 9 year old Kiger Mustang stallion. He stands 16 hands. He is a buckskin color with gold eyes. He has a very calm and laid-back personality. Daiki rescued him at the Mustang round-up when he was 6 months old.

Fuyu is a 5 year old Thoroughbred mare. She stands 15.2 hands. She is a blue-roan with light brown eyes. She has a sweet disposition and doesn't spook at anything. Juri bought her when she was an unbroken yearling.

Sora is a 7 year old Quarter Horse gelding. He stands 16 hands. He is silver with blue eyes. He is very playful and energetic. Kaito rescued him when the Police department was called into help with a raid.

Daiki, Juri, and Kaito nudged the horses into a jog. Byakuya and his pack broke into a trot, following the humans and horses. Ichigo flashed past the horses, running ahead to scout the area. Rukia whined, wanting to follow her mate. White-furred Jushiro glanced at Rukia, knowing why she was getting anxious. Hisana nudged her sister before trotting over to Byakuya.

"Don't worry. He will be fine," Kaien said, trotting next to Rukia.

"I know. It's just hard not to worry," Rukia whined, violet eyes searching for Ichigo.

"It is hard. I know. He is just making sure that it is safe. Just like Zangetsu used to," Shirayuki said affectionately, Zangetsu giving his lavender-furred mate a half-hearted glare and making Rukia laugh.

The horses broke into a lope, Byakuya and his pack doing the same. Ichigo raced through the woods, having caught the scent of an elk herd. He knew that the Kuchiki pack was getting hungry. Skidding to a halt, Ichigo spotted the herd. Calculating golden eyes scanned the herd, searching for weakness. He eyes landed on a huge bull, who was old and stiff from arthritis.

Ichigo quietly walked towards the herd, breaking into a run. He chased the herd, waiting for the bull to falter. Ichigo slammed his 130 pound body into the bull, flipping it onto its back. Jumping up, Ichigo latched onto the bull's throat and crushed its neck with his powerful jaws.

"_Wow! I have never heard of a dog taking down a bull elk by itself. Even a wolf pack has trouble taking down a bull. He is amazing," _Juri said, having reached the clearing just into to see Ichigo slam into the elk. Daiki and Kaito nodded. The pack sat by the horses, watching Ichigo.

"That's nothing. I've watched Ichigo take down a bison by himself," Rukia said, violet eyes staring at her mate lovingly.

"A… A bison? By himself? That's suicide," Renji said, the pack nodding in agreement. Byakuya stared at Ichigo, normally stoic grey eyes going wide.

"Not for Ichigo. He did all the hunting. He patrolled and kept his parents and sisters safe. He takes his name very seriously," Rukia replied, trotting over to Ichigo and licking his muzzle.

A couple hours flew by. The pack lay sprawled on their sides and napping, tired from running around and playing. Daiki, Juri, and Kaito tossed a Frisbee around. Kage, Fuyu, and Sora grazed. Kaien napped in the shade. Ichigo trotted over to the lake to get a drink.

Out of nowhere a large brown and white figure lunged at Ichigo, knocking him to the ground. Snarling, Ichigo jumped up and bit down on the attacker's shoulder. He threw the dog to the ground, only to be attacked by a smaller, red-furred dog. Ichigo threw the other dog off, growling a warning. Daiki heard snarling and turned to see Ichigo towering over two dogs that he never remembered seeing before. The commotion woke up the pack, who pinned their ears back and growled.

"Is… is that Ichi-nii?"

Ichigo froze, ears pricked. Two small bodies crashed into Ichigo, knocking him to the ground. Groaning, Ichigo lifted his head. Golden eyes widened, noticing who it was.

"Yuzu! Karin! Are you ok? I missed you," Ichigo growled, nuzzling his little sisters affectionately. Yuzu and Karin licked his muzzle frantically, tail wagging excitedly.

"Rukia-nee!" Yuzu and Karin barked, running over and jumping on Rukia. Rukia whined happily, nuzzling them and licking their muzzles.

"Get up Oyaji. You too, Jinta. Mom, Yoruichi, Kisuke, come over here," Ichigo barked.

Daiki was about to call Ichigo when two younger dogs ran into the powerful male Akita/German Shepherd and knocking him to the ground. He was surprised when the large male nuzzled the young dogs, even more so when they ran over to the small black-phase she-wolf in excitement who greeted them happily. A series of barks caught Juri's attention and she turned towards the noise, eyes widening at what she saw.

"_Daiki, Kaito. Look," _Juri said, pointing at Ichigo. Daiki and Kaito looked in the direction that Juri pointed, Daiki freezing at the sight.

Ichigo stood, ears pricked and head held high. Daiki watched as a Labrador and two German Shepherds approached Ichigo, immediately recognizing the long-furred black and tan German Shepherd. Juri placed a hand on Daiki's shoulder, noticing that her friend was shaking. Kaito looked at the dogs, knowing why Daiki looked shaken. Daiki whipped his eyes, trying to make the tears go away.

"Ichigo, we were so worried about you and Rukia. Yuzu and Karin were really upset," Masaki whined, licking Ichigo's muzzle.

"I missed you. I am glad that you found us. Rukia and I worried about you every day," Ichigo said softly, rubbing his head against his mother's shoulder.

Daiki whistled, causing Masaki and Isshin to turn their heads quickly and look at him. Isshin jumped up and ran over to Daiki, curled tail wagging like crazy. Masaki ran after him, whining. They jumped up, licking Daiki's face and whining excitedly. Daiki crouched down, hugging Isshin and Masaki.

"_Isshin! Masaki! I never thought I would see you again. I am so glad you are safe. Let's go home," _Daiki said, making Isshin and Masaki bark happily and run over to the pack.

"_Daiki, didn't your neighbors own that Labrador and Masaki's littermate? She was called the __**'Flash Goddess'**__?" _Juri asked, causing Daiki to nod.

"_Yeah. Come on, let's head back. I have to pick up my sisters," _Daiki said, mounting Kage. Juri and Kaito mounted their horses and trotted after Daiki.

The pack trotted after them. Yoruichi teased _**"Little Byakuya"**_, who glared at her and groaned. Uryu raced Orihime, Tatsuki, and Renji. Jushiro chatted with Kisuke. Nanao pranked Shunsui, who started whining and licking her muzzle. Hisana and Shirayuki talked to Masaki. Rukia followed, bringing a huge chunk of elk back for Momo. Yuzu teased Jinta, embarrassing him. Karin asked her grand-sire, Zangetsu, about different things. Isshin lunged at Ichigo and Kaien, who whipped around and beat the hell out of their father.

"I see that Isshin hasn't changed at all. He always tried to jump his father when he was a pup. Zangetsu would just look at him and walk away," Shirayuki said, watching Kaien and Ichigo pin Isshin to the ground and bite him. Zangetsu glanced back and pulled his lips back in a smirk.

"He didn't do that to Ichigo until he turned 6 months. Ichigo beat him every time," Masaki said, laughing.

A half hour passed until Daiki, his friends, and the mixed pack reached the stables. Rukia loped back to the house to give Momo the meat from Ichigo's kill. The horses were un-tacked and turned out in the pasture, eating their dinner. Daiki took Kaito and Kaien home, as they had to be at the Police station first thing in the morning. Kaito left Zangetsu and Shirayuki at Daiki's, as he was getting ready to leave for a Police Dog trial and couldn't take them. Juri fed the pack and drove to her parents to pick up her things, leaving a note saying that she would be back within the hour.

"So, Little Byakuya, are you going to sire a litter this year? If something happens, you won't have any pups to be the leader of the Kuchiki pack. Hisana wants pups, and you are not getting any younger," Yoruichi teased, making Hisana turn her head and blush.

"Shut Up! I hate when you do that. But I bet that I can be you in a race. I am faster than when I was a small-pup. You won't win this time," Byakuya growled. Yoruichi flashed in front of him and disappeared, causing Byakuya's grey eyes to widen.

"Byakuya. You lose!" Yoruichi laughed, standing on the porch.

"Damn you, Yoruichi!" Byakuya growled, running after her.

"My my. Byakuya still has quite a temper," Isshin said, laughing when Byakuya lunged at Yoruichi… and ended up in a bush. The pack laughed, going quiet when the annoyed Byakuya glared at them.

Ichigo trotted over to Rukia, who ran into the woods. Ichigo ran after her, whining and nuzzling her affectionately. Rukia nibbled his muzzle, turning her hind-end towards him. Ichigo mounted her, thrusting his hips forward and sheathing himself inside her. Rukia groaned as Ichigo mated with her. After twenty minutes Ichigo released inside her, dismounting Rukia and turned, still tied. He carefully pulled out and walked in front of her, licking her muzzle lovingly.

Ichigo and Rukia walked back to the house, curling up beside the fire-place. Isshin watched Ichigo and Rukia, knowing what had happened. Byakuya gave up trying to catch Yoruichi, lying next to a sleeping Hisana and glaring at Ichigo. Zangetsu and Shirayuki lay next to the couch. Yuzu, Jinta, and Karin curled up next to Ichigo. Shunsui lay with his head on Nanao's back. Masaki greeted Daiki and his sisters, who threw their arms around Isshin and Masaki and cried. Renji lay next to Tatsuki, Uryu and Orihime sleeping a dog-length away.

"_Alright girls, time for bed," _Daiki said. His sisters complained and walked into their room, only to run back out. Barking and growling was heard, waking Ichigo.

"_What's going on?"_ Juri asked, walking into the kitchen, closely followed by a black dog.

"_We were going to get in bed when that white Siberian Husky chased us out," _Seina said, making Daiki look at her in surprise.

Seina led Daiki and Juri to the room, only to have Toushiro stand in the doorway and growl. Daiki took a step forward, causing Toushiro to do the same. Juri saw Ichigo trot over, and was amazed when Toushiro quickly submitted to the large male. They followed Ichigo into the room, stopping when Ichigo looked under one of the beds. Momo crawled out from under it and nipped Ichigo's shoulder, growling at Daiki. Ichigo glanced at Momo, who whined and walked over to Toushiro. Juri looked under the bed, carefully picking up one of the 2 day old pups.

"_I think this is why Toushiro chased your sisters out. He was just protecting his pups. I'd say that Momo whelped them yesterday. She was pregnant when Sai brought her here,"_ Juri said, showing Daiki the whimpering pup.

"_She did look a little big. How many did she have?" _Daiki asked, walking over to a closet and grabbing a large, thick blanket.

"_I counted five. I will help you with them, going to be staying here for a while anyway," _Juri said, placing the pup in a basket and reaching under the bed to get the other pups.

Daiki placed the blanket in a spare room. Juri carefully placed the pups on the blanket, moving away when Momo lay on the blanket to nurse her pups. Toushiro lay next to her, head placed protectively on her side. Daiki and Seina followed Juri out of the room, going to bed.

Ichigo trotted back to Rukia, laying next to her and placing his head on her pack. Masaki curled up next to Isshin, her head on his paws. They knew that things were going to change for Ichigo and Rukia, very soon. They also felt that Byakuya would be annoyed too, which would mean a lot of teasing. Yoruichi flicked an ear back, hearing a growl and turning her head.

"How dare you show your face here?" a female dog said, growling at Yoruichi.

"Well, if it isn't Sui Feng. It's been awhile," Yoruichi said, golden eyes softening.

"It's your fault. How could you just leave? I looked up to you, wanted to be like you. But then you disappeared. How could you do that to me?" Sui Feng's growl turned to a whimper.

"I didn't want to leave. It killed me to leave you behind. I worried about you every day, my Little Bee. Your father didn't want to leave you either," Yoruichi said, licking Sui Feng's muzzle.

"I still can't believe that he is my father. I don't act like him at all, mom," Sui Feng said, looking at Kisuke, who was sleeping on a couch with his front paws touching the floor. Yoruichi laughed.

Sui Feng is a 2 year old Labrador Retriever/German Shepherd female, standing 23 inches at the shoulder. She looks like a full-blood German Shepherd. She has black fur and grey eyes. She is very stubborn, protective, and loyal. She adores her mother, Yoruichi and loves/hates her father, Kisuke. She is Juri's dog.

Sui Feng licked Yoruichi's muzzle, tail wagging happily. She trotted into Juri's room to check on her, then trotted back to her mother. Yoruichi lay down a few feet away from Ichigo, Sui Feng curling up next to her and placing her head on her mother's paws. Yoruichi glanced at Kisuke, who stared at her with green eyes and smiled softly. Yoruichi licked the top of Sui Feng's head and placed her head on her daughter's back, falling asleep.


	8. The threat and Surprise

Two months have passed since Ichigo was reunited with his parents and little sisters. Yuzu and Masaki were spoiled by Daiki's sisters. Karin liked to annoy Byakuya, who would try his best to ignore her. Sui Feng beat up on Kisuke constantly, only to have her father grin and tease her. Yoruichi still liked to torture Byakuya, laughing whenever he lost his temper. Daiki started bringing Isshin to work with him, making it more peaceful for the pack. Uryu, Orihime and Tatsuki were back at Sai's house. Renji, not wanting to be away from Tatsuki, went with them.

"Itsgo ji-san! Wake up!"

Ichigo flicked an ear back, hearing a chorus of yips. Lifting his head, Ichigo opened his jaws in a yawn. Sharp golden eyes fell on the 8-week-old Siberian Husky pups, who were bouncing around and biting his large paws. His eyes softened, curled tail thumping the ground. Standing, Ichigo stretched and shook the dirt off his thick fur.

Ichigo glanced around, making sure that the pack was safe. Sweet-tempered Hisana lay sprawled on her side, sun-bathing. Byakuya raced around the property with Karin and Yoruichi, Sui Feng joining in. Masaki played with the human pups. Jushiro chatted with Toushiro. Momo played tag with Yuzu and Jinta. Shunsui was flirting with Nanao, who was actually accepting her mate's advances. Juri sat on the porch, reading a book.

"Yay! Now Ji-chan can play with us!"

Ichigo looked at the pups, smiling softly. He adored Momo's pups, always watching and playing with them when Toushiro and Momo needed a break. The Kuchiki pack loved the pups, even the stoic Byakuya, who watched them with soft grey eyes. Momo was glad to have the wolf pack help her raise the pups, especially being her first litter. The pups loved their parents, always following them around and pulling on Toushiro's tail. Strangely, if the pups get scared of something, they would ignore their parents and bolt over to Ichigo with their tails tucked.

Momo had her litter 8 weeks ago. There were two males and three females. One of the males was white-furred Toushiro and had brown eyes like Momo, called Shikai. The other male was brown and white like Momo and had blue-green eyes like Toushiro, named Hiro. The smallest female was a light grey with white paws and blue eyes, called Sakura. The biggest female was white with brown legs with a blue and brown eye, called Kiriko. The last female had a black body, silver mask, and white socks. Her name was Tobiume.

Ichigo nudged the pups, laughing when they started whining. Kiriko and Tobiume jumped up, trying to lick his chin. Sakura, Hiro, and Shikai ran circles around the large male Akita/ German Shepherd. Ichigo nipped the pups and trotted away, glancing back to see the pups running after him. Ichigo pulled his lips back in a smile, curled tail waving like a banner. The pups slapped their paws to the ground in a play-bow, tails wagging happily.

Shikai ran after Ichigo, his brother and sisters behind him. Ichigo pulled his lips back in a grin, loping away from the pups in a game of tag. Hisana lifted her head and watched the large male Akita/German Shepherd playing with the Siberian Husky pups, smiling softly. The black-furred Alpha female laughed when the pups jumped Ichigo, knocking the huge dog to the ground. Hisana had noticed that Ichigo was very gentle with the pups, protecting and disciplining them when Momo and Toushiro weren't sure how to.

"Onee-san, are you ok?"

Hisana flicked an ear and turned her head, violet-blue eyes landing on her baby sister. Hisana gazed at Rukia, who turned her head to watch her mate. The Alpha female could see a difference in her sister, whose fur was thick and shined bright and violet eyes that took on a softer, and possibly motherly appearance. Hisana watched Rukia shift slightly to get comfortable, a heavily bulging stomach extending further. Byakuya had been upset when he first noticed Rukia's condition, attacking the large male Akita/German Shepherd. Ichigo had retaliated, inflicting multiple bite wounds and throwing the black-furred Alpha male to the ground. Over the two months, Byakuya accepted what was to come and even seemed excited about the position he would soon play.

"I am fine, just watching Ichigo play with Momo's pups. He really seems to dote on them. What about you? How are you feeling?" Hisana asked Rukia, noticing a ripple come and go on her sister's stomach.

"Ichigo adores them. Momo and Toushiro are always asking him for help. He helped his parents raise Yuzu and Karin. I am ok, just feeling a little painful," Rukia said, grunting in discomfort and trotting into the house. Hisana tilted her head and followed her sister.

An hour later Ichigo lay next to Momo's pups, who had fallen asleep after chasing their favorite Oji-san around. He nudged them gently, standing up and racing in the woods to patrol. Lifting his muzzle, Ichigo scented the air. A putrid, musky odor caught his attention, making him stiffen. Suddenly, frightened whinnies reached Ichigo's ears and he whipped around. He bolted in the direction of the stables, splashing through the stream and flying over the five foot paddock fence with distance to spare.

Ichigo watched as Fuyu galloped towards him, the whites of her eyes showing. The Thoroughbred mare skid to a halt in front of Ichigo, breathing heavily and blue-roan coat covered in sweat. The large Akita/German Shepherd nudged the frightened mare, who looked over her shoulder and snorted. The putrid smell from before reached Ichigo's sensitive nose, making him growl. He raced in the direction that Fuyu galloped from, hackles rising at what he saw.

Golden eyes caught sight of a large Grizzly bear charging at the mustang stallion, who pinned his ears and aimed a kick at the bear. The bear swipped a large paw, claws slashing at Kage's hindquarter. Kage squealed, rearing up. Sora, the Quarter Horse gelding, kicked at the bear. The enraged grizzly let out a roar and charged again, only to stop when a flash of orange and black caught his attention.

Sora and Kage turned their heads to see Ichigo standing in between them and the bear, snarling and ears pinned back. Fuyu whinnied, catching the bear's attention. Using the distraction, Ichigo lunged with his fangs bared. The bear swatted at Ichigo, who dodged and bit down on its shoulder. Ichigo placed his large paws on the bear and pushed himself off, tearing off the muscle and exposing the bone from shoulder to paw.

The powerful dog dropped his paws to the ground and opened his jaws, dropping the chunk that was removed from the grizzly's shoulder. The bear roared in pain, blood gushing from the wound and pouring to the ground. The bear charged Ichigo, who bit its throat and flipped it onto its back. Ichigo snarled, normally gold eyes turning blue for a brief second. He bit down and crushed the bear's neck, twisting it and tearing the bear's head off with a sickening CRACK. The powerful Akita/German Shepherd dropped its head and walked away.

"**Thank you, Ichigo," **Fuyu said softly, tail swishing back and forth. Kage and Sora trotted over to stand behind her.

"You don't have to thank me. If I hadn't been on patrol, it would have ended badly and Daiki would be heartbroken. Given your condition, I am glad you didn't get hurt," Ichigo replied, staring at the blue-roan mare as he said that. Fuyu froze and turned her head away in embarrassment.

"**H..how did you know?" **Fuyu said, flicking an ear back towards the buckskin stallion.

"Your scent is the same as my mother right before she had my sisters, and Momo before she had her pups eight weeks ago. I'm sure you and Kage are thrilled to be parents. I know I am," Ichigo said, pulling his lips back in a grin.

"**We are. Wait, are you saying?" **Fuyu asked.

"Yes. Rukia is heavy with my pups. She is due any day. I'm excited," Ichigo said, golden eyes softening and tail wagging.

"**That's great! Congratulations!" **Fuyu nickered softly.

Suddenly a howl echoed through the field and Ichigo froze, ears pricked forward and golden eyes widening. His tail started wagging and he lifted his muzzle to the sky, a deep howl escaping his throat. He raced to the house. Kage, Sora, and Fuyu whinnied excitedly. Ichigo flew over fallen trees and splashed through streams, racing into the yard. Hisana greeted him, whining and wagging her tail.

Ichigo nudged the Alpha female gently, following her into the house. Juri was trying to call the wolf pack down, having an idea as to why they were anxious. Ichigo barked at the pack, who relaxed and trotted over to greet him. Ichigo wagged his tail and trotted into the empty room where Momo's pups were kept before they were old enough to meet the pack. Byakuya lay next to the door, grey eyes constantly glancing inside the room. The huge Akita/German Shepherd touched noses with the black-furred male and trotted inside. Byakuya's tail thumped the ground, ears turned towards the door.

Ichigo glanced around and pricked his ears, catching what sounded like whimpers and groaning. He followed the noises and spotted Rukia, who lay on a thick blanket and was breathing heavily. Rukia lifted her head and stared at her mate with soft violet eyes, growling painfully when a contraction rippled through her already tired body. Ichigo whined and lay next to Rukia, licking her muzzle soothingly. Rukia nuzzled his thick-furred neck and turned her head towards her hind-end, feeling another pup slide out. She gently tore the sac from the pup and bit the umbilical cord, licking the pup clean.

Ichigo watched as Rukia cleaned and nudged the squealing pup to her belly to nurse. He nuzzled Rukia and turned his golden eyes to the newborn pups, surprised. He knew that his lovely mate had a large stomach during her pregnancy, figuring that the pups she carried were a good size. Golden eyes widened as he counted the pups, who whimpered and squirmed around. His eyes softened as he looked at Rukia, who licked his muzzle lovingly and turned to gaze with shining violet eyes at her large litter of 15.

"I'm glad you are hear, Ichigo," Rukia said, violet eyes closing tiredly.

"You did wonderfully. Our pups are beautiful. I am so proud of you. Try and get some sleep, my beautiful mate," Ichigo said softly, licking the top of her head affectionately.

Ichigo stood up slowly and trotted out of the room. The pack jumped up as soon as Ichigo entered the front room, his head held high and his thick-furred curled tail waving like a banner. Juri, who was baking cookies with Daiki's sisters, watched the pack greet the large dog excitedly. She noticed that the Alpha's sister hadn't shown herself yet and walked towards the room, only to have the Akita/German Shepherd male block her path.

"_It's ok, boy. I won't bug her or the pups. I bet you are a very happy papa,"_ Juri said, scratching Ichigo's ears and returning to the kitchen.

Ichigo glanced back at Byakuya, who was looking into the room with his ears pricked and tail wagging. He pulled his lips back in a grin and nipped Byakuya, who glared at him. The two males trotted back to the front room, where the pack waited. Ichigo flicked an ear back, hearing Juri and the human pups laugh about something. Masaki, Yuzu, and Karin trotted up to Ichigo, tails wagging excitedly.

"How is Rukia nee-chan feeling? Is she ok?" Karin asked her brother, head tilted to the side.

"She is fine, just really tired. Whelping the pups took a lot out of her," Ichigo said, ear turned towards the room where his mate and newborn pups slept.

"How many pups did little Rukia have?" Jushiro asked, Shunsui and Nanao lying next to the white-furred wolf. Ichigo's golden eyes brightened and he pulled his lips back in a grin.

"You sure you want to know? The old man is definitely going to blow a gasket when he hears," Ichigo grinned, ears flicking back as he heard the front door open.

"ICHIGO! DADDY IS HOME!" Isshin barked, racing in the house and tackling Ichigo to the ground. Ichigo flipped Isshin off and pinned him.

"_Are they at it again? Every time I come over those two are fighting," _Kaito asked Daiki, walking inside. Kaien, Zangetsu, and Shirayuki trotted inside after Kaito.

"_Don't worry. It never escalates," _Daiki laughed, walking into the kitchen to steal a cookie and to have Juri slap his hand with a spoon.

"Oyaji, Ichi-nii was just going to tell us something," Karin growled, sitting next to Momo and her sleeping pups.

Zangetsu rolled his eyes, smirking at his whining pup. Shirayuki and Kaien laughed, causing Ichigo to look at his brother and grand-mother. Ichigo let his father up, nipping him. Kisuke grinned at his friend, who started complaining. The rest of the pack laughed. Isshin looked around, confused.

"Hold on. Where is my third daughter?" Isshin asked, searching for the small black-furred she-wolf.

"She just had my pups, so she is sleeping. I would be tired too if I whelped 15 pups," Ichigo said, standing tall and proud like the new father that he is. The pack looked at him in shock, even Byakuya's grey eyes widened.

Not caring that they were in the house, the proud father threw his head back and let out a deep howl. The rest of the Kuchiki pack joined in, announcing the arrival of their Alpha's sisters' litter. Daiki, his sisters, and friends heard the howls and looked at each other. Juri whispered into Daiki's ear, making him smile and nod. Ichigo pranced around, head and tail held high.

The excitement died down, making Ichigo remember something. He pulled his lips back into a growl, racing into the kitchen. He ran over to Daiki and bit his arm, tugging him to the door. Kaito grabbed the large Akita/German Shepherd by the scruff, trying to pull him off Daiki. Ichigo released Daiki's arm and growled, running to the front room.

"_You ok? I can't believe he would bite you,"_ Kaito asked. Daiki nodded, lifting his sleeve and not seeing any bruises or punctures.

"_I think he was trying to get your attention," _Juri said, pointing at Ichigo.

Daiki and Kaito watched Ichigo, who ran over to Kaien and snapped at him. Kaien pinned his ears back and barked at his younger brother, who slammed into the front door and pushed it open. Ichigo stood in the doorway then turned and bolted towards the woods, Kaien racing after him. Daiki and Kaito ran after them, leaving Juri to feed the pack and put the girls to bed.

"What's going on, Ichigo? Why did you bite Daiki?" Kaien asked, running next to his little brother.

"You will see when we get there," Ichigo replied, lengthening his stride. Daiki and Kaito were a good twenty feet behind the brothers.

"_Why are Kaien and Ichigo heading toward the stables?" _Kaito asked, starting to feel winded.

"_I'm not sure," _Daiki replied, watching the dogs.

Ichigo picked up his speed as he approached the fence, flying over the five foot hurtle with room to spare. Kaien skid to a halt, aqua-green eyes widening. His orange-furred younger brother stood on the other side, golden eyes shining and lips pulled back in a grin. Ichigo's black-furred older brother crawled under the fence, shaking the dirt off his fur when he stood up. Daiki and Kaito gasped when they saw the Akita/German Shepherd fly over the hurtle.

"_Damn, that was amazing. Not only does he have the speed, power, and excellent bite, he seems to be an amazing jumper. Would you consider letting me use him when I go on my shifts? My unit will be struck stupid when they see him work," _Kaito asked, glancing at Daiki.

"_I don't know. I will get back to you on that," _Daiki replied, following the dogs into the paddock.

Ichigo turned his golden eyes towards the middle of the field, growling at the scent that smelled of decay. Kaien caught the scent and sneezed, trying to get rid of the smell. Ichigo loped over to Daiki, nipped his hand, and flashed away. Daiki and Kaito ran after the Akita/German Shepherd, freezing at what lay before them. Kaien stared, pulling his lips back in a growl.

Ichigo sat down a foot away from the bear carcass, golden eyes staring at the humans and his black-furred brother. Daiki stared, taking in the sight. The grizzly bear had muscle and tendons removed from the length of the shoulder to the paw, the entire bone sticking out. The chunk of muscle, tendon, skin, and fur lay in front of it. Kaito slapped Daiki's arm and pointed at something a couple feet away, making his friend look. There lay the head of the bear, eyes open and clouded with its teeth bared.

"_W..what did this?" _Daiki stammered, covering his mouth to keep himself from getting sick.

Ichigo stood up, letting out a series of deep barks. Daiki watched the dog, who seemed to be glaring at the carcass. A chorus of whinnies sounded and Kaito turned to see the horses gallop over to the large dog, who wagged his tail. Blue-roan Fuyu nudged Ichigo, squealing and kicking at silver-coat Sora when he got too close. Kage pinned his ears back and kicked the dead bear, giving Daiki an answer. Ichigo trotted over and bit the bear's head, throwing it over his shoulder where it landed in a bush with a loud THUD.

Daiki and Kaito watched as Ichigo dragged the carcass into the trees and loped back, flying over the fence and flashing back to the house. Kaien raced after his orange-furred little brother, who had just ran inside the house and sat next to Juri. Daiki quickly checked over the horses before returning to the house, Kaito right behind him. Juri looked up from her seat on the couch, Sui Feng and Yoruichi sleeping at her feet.

"_You figure out why Ichigo was acting like that?"_ Juri asked, running her hand through Ichigo's thick soft fur.

"_He led us to a grizzly bear carcass in the horse's paddock," _Kaito said, glancing around for his dogs.

"_What?! Are the horses ok?" _Juri gasped, tightening her hand around Ichigo's fur.

"_They seemed fine, ran right up to this big boy. Kage did kick at it. It wasn't a pretty sight. The bone was protruding from the shoulder to the paw. Its head was separated from its body. Ichigo actually tossed the head into a bush and dragged the body out of the paddock. I didn't see a weapon in the field, but the carcass was covered in lacerations and bite marks,"_ Daiki sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. Juri shook her head and stood up, going to bed.

Kaito pat Ichigo on the shoulder and went to his room to sleep. Daiki did a final door check and also went to sleep, Isshin and Masaki trotting after him. Yoruichi licked Ichigo's muzzle and trotted into Juri's room, Sui Feng and Kisuke racing after her. Hisana curled up next to Byakuya, who placed his head on her back. Jushiro slept by the fireplace, Karin next to him. Shunsui and Nanao were curled up next to each other, Nanao's head on Shunsui's paws. Yuzu curled up next to Jinta, exposing a slight swell in her abdomen.

Ichigo trotted down the hall to the room where his wonderful mate and newborn pups slept. Zangetsu, Shirayuki, and Kaien were sprawled on their sides next to the door. Ichigo licked their muzzles and trotted inside, spotting Toushiro, Momo and their 8-week-old pups sleeping a couple Husky-lengths away from Rukia. Ichigo walked over to Rukia, licking her muzzle affectionately. The powerful yet gentle Akita/German Shepherd male lay next to his small black-furred she-wolf, placing his head on her side protectively. Whimpers reached Ichigo's sensitive ears and he looked at his pups, golden eyes softening with adoration and love. Tired gold eyes closed, the whimpers and grunts of the newborn pups lulling their proud father into a peaceful sleep.


	9. Confession the Attack Old Packmate?

Kaien was the first to wake up the following morning, the sounds of whimpering reaching his sensitive ears. The black-furred Akita stood up and stretched, jaws opened in a yawn. He glanced inside the room where his brother slept, aqua-green eyes softening when they landed on the newborn pups. He was excited to be a new uncle and was looking forward to playing with the pups when they were old enough.

"Kaien-nii, are you ok?" a soft voice asked, making Kaien turn his head to look at Yuzu.

Kaien studied his little half-sister, who had grown quite a bit. Yuzu was almost 9 months old. Her fur lengthened and her white paws turned lavender. Her head was level to Ichigo's shoulder. Her light brown eyes were slowly turning gold. Her stomach looked swollen, making Kaien suspicious.

"I'm fine. Just thinking. So, when are you going to break the news?" Kaien asked, noticing Yuzu pin her ears back and lower her head.

"You are carrying pups."

Yuzu and Kaien whipped their heads around, catching sight of Rukia. The small she-wolf stared at them with soft violet eyes, lips pulled back in a content smile. Her ears flicked back, listening to the whimpers of her day old pups. Yuzu whined and licked Rukia's chin, tail tucked. Kaien glanced into the room to see Ichigo gently nuzzling and licking the pups.

"Rukia-nee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disappoint you. It's just…" Yuzu whimpered, lowering herself to the ground.

"I understand. Your brother was afraid that you would have to go through this so early, and I agree. You are still a pup yourself. Your brother will be upset, but remember that he will still love and help you," Rukia said softly, nuzzling the young dog.

Rukia trotted outside, Yuzu and Kaien behind her. Kaien flicked an ear back, hearing the others wake up and race outside. Isshin ran around Daiki's car, barking excitedly. Sui Feng beat up on her father, her mother sitting next to Masaki and laughing. Zangetsu watched Isshin and rolled his eyes. Shirayuki chatted with Hisana. Karin and the Siberian Husky pups ambushed Byakuya, knocking him to the ground. Jushiro and Shunsui pulled their lips back in a grin, laughing at the Alpha male. Nanao lay next to Shunsui, tail wagging. Momo and Toushiro played Tug-of-War, Jinta sitting a few dog-lengths away.

"_Isshin, time to go. Girls, hurry up or you will be late for the bus,"_ Daiki called, laughing when he spotted the brown and white Akita racing around the car.

"_Kaya isn't feeling good. I heard her running to the bathroom all night," _Juri said, walking up to Daiki. Daiki looked at her, feeling torn.

"_I will watch her. I don't have any patients today. I will call you if she gets worse," _Juri said, kissing Daiki on the cheek and making his face go beet red.

Juri waved when Daiki left for work and turned to walk into the house, Rukia trotting after her. Kaito raced past her, Kaien jumping in the car, and drove to work to help search from some escaped convicts. Juri put raw meat out for the wolves, who dove right in. Seina and Ayame ran out the door and down the driveway, jumping on the bus just in time. Kaya was still sleeping. While Juri checked on Kaya, Rukia trotted to the room where her mate and newborn pups where.

"Are you ok, Rukia? You seem upset," Ichigo asked, glancing at the whimpering pups with soft golden eyes.

"I'm fine, just tired. Don't worry so much," Rukia said softly, licking Ichigo's muzzle. Ichigo nudged his mate gently and stood, golden eyes shining lovingly as Rukia lay next to the pups and let them nurse.

The large German Shepherd/Akita trotted to the door, taking a glance at his mate and pups, before leaving the room. He walked down the hall, stopping briefly in the human pup's room to lick Kaya's hand. He growled softly when Kaya went into a coughing fit. Ichigo watched as she slowly got out of bed, grabbing his thick-furred neck to steady herself. Ichigo flicked an ear back and slowly walked to the front room, Kaya holding onto his 30 inch high frame for support.

Golden eyes scanned the room, noticing that the pack was outside. Ichigo stopped next to the couch, gently pushing her onto it. Kaya laughed and yanked on his ear, making the large German Shepherd/Akita growl softly. He walked over to the tv and took the remote in his jaws, bringing it back to Kaya and dropping it on her lap. The human pup wrapped her arms around his neck before laying down and turning on the tv.

Ichigo turned and trotted into the kitchen, sitting and watching Juri writing some notes on her patient's files. Juri put her pen down and stood, pushing her chair in. She looked at the large dog and smiled, reaching down and scratching his ear. Ichigo growled softly and licked her hand.

"_How are you doing boy? You sure slept late. I bet you just wanted to stay with your pups. They sure are cute and very healthy," _Juri said, smiling and walking into the front room. Ichigo trotted onto the porch and jumped to the ground, walking towards the pack.

Masaki, noticing her son, trotted over to him. Ichigo wagged his curled tail when she reached him, nipping his muzzle. The large male pulled his lips back in a grin, golden eyes shining. Feeling something run into him, Ichigo looked down to see Momo's pups. His eyes softened as he watched them jump up to nip his chin, their tails wagging excitedly. Ichigo licked their ears, laughed and trotted away with his tail waving like a banner.

"Well, someone seems full of himself."

Ichigo turned his head, golden eyes landing on a large, red-furred wolf. Renji watched him, head tilted in confusion. Black-furred Tatsuki stood next to Renji, her stomach distended. Ichigo grinned at his friend. Something ran into his leg again, making Ichigo look down to find two small-pups. He stared at them curiously, having not seen them before.

"Where did you come from, little ones?" Ichigo asked gently, lying down as to not scare the small-pups. The small-pups tucked their tails and whimpered, having never seen the huge German Shepherd/Akita before. Ichigo nudged them gently, licking their muzzles.

"Saito! Hana! Thank goodness. You scared me! oh, hey Ichigo," the large male looked up to see Orihime and Uryu lope towards them, making the small-pups yip excitedly. Ichigo examined the pups. The one called Saito was silver with black paws. The one called Hana was a tan/blue brindle.

"Hey. They are good-looking pups. You must be proud," Ichigo grinned.

"They are. The pups are 4 weeks. So, you seem happy. Why?" Renji asked, head tilted. Ichigo wagged his tail and ran into the house, Renji and Tatsuki behind him. Yuzu followed, wondering how to tell her over-protective brother that he was going to be an uncle.

Ichigo trotted inside, the rest of the pack behind him and finding their spots to nap. Toushiro, Momo, and their pups curled up next to the couch, Kaya having fallen asleep. Juri was in the kitchen talking to Sai, who stopped by to help until Daiki came home. The powerful German Shepherd/Akita quietly entered the room where his mate slept, Renji and Tatsuki following him.

Renji's eyes widened in shock, finally seeing Rukia. He watched as Ichigo licked Rukia's muzzle, then gently licking the pups and making them squeal. Ichigo trotted back over and out of the room, the pair not far behind. Renji was awestruck, trying to remember how many pups were there and making his head spin.

Yuzu let out a whine and crawled up to Ichigo, ears pinned back and tail tucked so far it was touching her stomach. Hearing the whine, the large German Shepherd/Akita flicked an ear and looked down at his unusually submissive sister with keen golden eyes. Ichigo studied his little sister, gold eyes narrowing when he saw her bloated abdomen. Yuzu's whine intensified as she watched her brother whip his head around, sharp gold eyes locking in on the red and white Akita.

Ichigo bolted around Yuzu and charged at Jinta, who pulled his lips back and growled. The enraged male slammed into the young Akita, making him crash into the wall. Hearing the commotion Juri ran into the room, Sai right behind her. Juri watched as Ichigo tossed Jinta and pinned him, powerful jaws clamped down on Jinta's muzzle.

"I will let this slide since Yuzu is going to whelp soon. But be warned. You hurt my sister, or leave her to raise these pups on her own, I will tear you apart," Ichigo snarled, golden eyes flashing blue and he trotted away.

The pack watched as the huge German Shepherd/Akita bolted out the door and raced to the end of the driveway, pacing back and forth. Juri walked over to Jinta, checking the young Akita over only to find no wounds. Byakuya cocked his head, grey eyes focused on Ichigo. The large black-furred Alpha realized that Ichigo's reaction was identical to his own when he found out that his little sister was pregnant. Jushiro and Shunsui trotted outside and sat on the porch, keeping a watchful eye on the agitated male. The rest of the pack returned to their favorite spots and fell asleep. Toushiro and Momo's pups where curled up on a thick soft blanket, their Uncle Ichigo's chosen spot.

"_Does he always do that? He wasn't that aggressive when Daiki and I caught him," _Sai asked, looking out the window and watching Ichigo pace.

"_I have seen him discipline some of the pack and beat up on Isshin, but nothing like this. He is very protective of the pack, even more so in regard to Rukia, his sisters, and the Siberian husky pups," _Juri replied, picking up a sleeping Kaya and walking into the girl's room. She gently placed the little girl on the bed and tucked her in, smiling softly and kissing her forehead before walking out of the room.

"_I see. What about Little Rukia? I haven't seen her at all today. She didn't take off again did she?" _Sai asked Juri, who shook her head and motioned with her hand down the hall. She quietly walked into the room where Rukia was sleeping, her 15 pups whining in their sleep with milk-filled stomachs. Sai stared at the small female and her large litter with wide eyes.

"_Wh..when did she have them?" _Sai stuttered.

"_She whelped them yesterday. I was surprised when I saw how many she had, since wolves never have such a large litter. I bet that they will look like their father when they get older. Their father is really gentle with them and Rukia surprised me when she allowed him to go anywhere near them,"_ Juri said, walking towards the kitchen with Sai right behind her.

"_Whose their? Don't tell me that Ichigo sired that litter," _Sai said, slamming into the door when he saw Juri nod.

Ichigo sat at the end of the driveway, ears pricking forward when a large yellow bus started to slow down. He stood up when the bus door opened and leapt into the vehicle, scaring the driver. He trotted over to where Seina and Ayame were, biting the handles of their bags and trotting out of the bus with the bags still in his jaws. Seina and Ayame ran to the house, the large German Shepherd/Akita racing past them and into the house.

Juri and Sai laughed when they saw Ichigo race in and drop the back-packs on the couch, tail wagging. Seina and Ayame walked inside, Masaki running over and licking their faces. The girls laughed and hugged the sweet-tempered German Shepherd. The Siberian husky pups heard the girls and barked, tails wagging excitedly. Byakuya lifted his head and glanced around, lips pulled back in a smirk as he watched Renji being scolded by a temperamental Tatsuki. Orihime slept next to her pups while Uryu teased Jinta about getting beat up by the orange-furred Ichigo. Ichigo watched the humans and mixed pack then turned his orange head towards the door, ears pinned back and golden eyes narrowing.

"Ichigo, are you ok?" a soft voice asked, making the powerful German Shepherd/Akita turn his golden gaze and stare into soft violet eyes.

"I just can't shake off the feeling that something is going to happen," Ichigo growled, golden eyes softening when Rukia pressed herself into his side.

"Ichigo," the small, black-furred mother whispered.

"Don't worry. I will protect you, our pups, and the pack," Ichigo growled, licking Rukia's muzzle lovingly. Rukia nuzzled his thick-furred chest and trotted back to her pups, stopping in the kitchen to eat some raw meat that Juri left out for her.

Zangetsu watched his orange-furred grandson, sharp eyes taking in his stance. The young male stared out the window, bright golden eyes flashing into a silvery-blue color. His ears were pricked forward, his normally curled tail straight up and rigid. His hackles rose and his lips pulled back, fangs bared and tongue flicking out. A low, rumbling growl escaped the chest of the large and powerful male. Zangetsu watched his grandson quietly slip out the door and trot a few feet away, crouching under the brush to conceal himself. This was surprising as Ichigo had gotten taller than his original 28 inches over the last couple months.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Officer Kaito and K9 Kaien were at the station to give their report. Kaien lay at his handler's feet, black head on his huge paws and ears flicking towards the voices. The large black-furred Akita and his handler had chased down and apprehended escaped convicts the entire day, many of which were a danger to the public. Unfortunately, the last two convicts had slipped away and were still being tracked. Kaito and the chief's conversation was interrupted when another officer ran into the room, breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

"_What's wrong, Sano?" _Kaito asked, watching the other officer in concern.

"_I just got a call from Dr. Juri. She said that she heard gunshots and that something had smashed through the window at Daiki's house. She sounded terrified and I heard Daiki's sisters crying in the background. I think it is Them," _the officer gasped, watching as Kaito whipped around and Kaien jumped to his paws.

"_Damn it! Call Daiki and let him know. Let the others know that we need back-up and meet us there," _Kaito shouted as he raced to his car, Kaien at his heels.

Kaien leapt through the open window and into the back of the patrol car, Kaito slamming the driver's door and speeding away. Black-furred Kaien paced in the back, barking like crazy before the sirens where turned on. They raced towards former Officer Daiki's ranch, four back-up K9 units right behind them. As soon as the cars where on the property, the officers leashed their dogs and ran towards the house. The handlers and their dogs skid to a stop and watched what was happening in front of them in amazement.

An enormous orange-furred male German Shepherd/Akita raced towards the two gunmen, who happened to be the convicts that the police were tracking. One of the men fired at the dog, who suddenly disappeared. The man looked for the dog, gun raised. A loud, guttural snarl was heard and the man turned, eyes widened in fear. The large dog grabbed the man's arm in his powerful jaws and threw him into the air, leaping above the man and grabbed his shoulder, slamming the convict into the ground. Silver-blue eyes and powerful jaws with long sharp fangs bit down hard on the man's shoulder, a loud sickening SNAP reached the officer's ears and making them cringe.

The second convict backed away slowly, eyes widening when he saw the K9 unit pointing their guns at him. Kaien launched himself forward, leash snapping in half. Kaito yelled, telling Kaien to heel. The black-furred Akita ignored his handler, fully intent on taking the convict down. Aqua-green eyes widened when Kaien saw the gun aimed at him, a loud CRACK was heard and a sharp pain erupted in his shoulder. His leg suddenly gave out and Kaien collapsed, letting a pained yelp escape his chest.

Kaien's yelp reached his younger brother's ears, causing Ichigo to throw his 130 pounds of muscle into the second convict and send him crashing to the ground. Ichigo pinned the convict with his huge paws, large fangs bared close to the man's face. The man struggled, freezing and letting out a scream when he felt sharp fangs on his throat.

"_Ichigo! Back!" _Daiki shouted and ran up, making the powerful dog release his hold on the man's throat and step away.

Ichigo watched as the convicts were taken away with blood dripping from the bite marks that were given by the large dog, his silver-blue eyes returning to his normal gold. Flicking an ear Ichigo trotted over to Rukia, who had finally pushed past Byakuya and the mixed pack. She had panicked when she heard the gunshots and her mate's snarling, wanting to make sure he was ok. The pack, being over protective of the new mother and mate to their protector, had blocked her in the house. They did not want to have Ichigo's severe aggression and wrath fall upon them if Rukia got hurt.

"Ichigo, are you ok," Rukia whimpered, licking Ichigo's muzzle.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'm fine," Ichigo growled softly, gently taking Rukia's muzzle in his jaws and calming her.

An hour later, Kaien lay on a thick blanket in Kaito's room with his shoulder bandaged after Juri removed 2 bullets. Kaito scratched his canine companion's ears and left, going home to grab a few things. The pack settled down slowly and fell asleep in their favorite spots. Sai slept in his room at Daiki's house. Uryu, Orihime and their two pups, Renji and his heavily pregnant Tatsuki slept in the room. Seina, Ayame, and Kaya slept in one bed. Zangetsu and Shirayuki were curled up next to the human pups.

"_I'm glad you and the girls didn't get hurt," _Daiki said, sitting next to Juri. Isshin and Masaki were curled up next to Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Sui Feng at their feet.

"_I was terrified when the window shattered and we heard the gunshots. Ichigo was hiding in a bush outside and ambushed them. He protected us," _Juri said, green eyes watching as Ichigo made his rounds before following black-furred Rukia back to the room where their pups slept.

"_I saw what he did. The station called to ask how everyone was fairing. They told me that the big boy crushed one convict's shoulder beyond repair. The other convict has punctures in his neck and a crushed hand. Apparently the guys told the chief about Ichigo. He is very interested in breeding a few of the unit's good Working-line females to him. I told him that I wouldn't be able to do that," _Daiki said, looking up when Kaito walked in with one of his dogs behind him.

"_I still think you should let me use him when I patrol, especially now that Kaien is laid up. The chief and the guys were still talking about him. The chief wants you to bring him over soon so they can see him in action," _Kaito said, locking the door behind him.

"_Sorry, but I need him here. This is the third time that he has protected us. Remember that dead bear in the horses' pen? That bear was trying to kill our horses and Ichigo protected them. You might want to wait a few months though. That big litter of 15 that Little Rukia just whelped were sired by Ichigo. I bet you anything that a majority of those pups will turn out like their father. Oh Juri, you might want to check on Fuyu tomorrow. She looks like she is going to drop any day," Daiki replied, getting up and walking to his room. _

"_Oh that's right! We should get the big stall set up and keep her away from Kage and Sora for a bit," _Juri said, following Daiki.

"_I doubt that Kage will hurt the foal. He will most likely drive Sora away though. Stallions usually don't like other males near their mares and foals," _Kaito laughed, walking to his room. They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

Kaien groaned in pain, flicking an ear back. A sweet scent that he loved reached his sensitive nose and he pulled his lips back in a soft smile, tail thumping the ground. He lifted his aqua-green eyes staring softly at the female who had followed his owner inside.

"Don't look so upset. I am fine. My little brother incapacitated the human before he could do more damage. I'm a fighter, Miyako," Kaien said softly, nuzzling Miyako affectionately.

Miyako is a 4 year old Kishu Inu, standing 24 inches at the shoulder. She has dark brown fur, white socks, and a white collar. She has medium brown eyes. She is very sweet-tempered and loving. She is Kaien's mate and is owned by Kaito.

"Don't scare me like that. I don't want to lose you, especially now," Miyako whined, turning her head shyly. Kaien pulled his lips back in a grin and gently nudged her distended abdomen, feeling a small paw jab him in the nose.

"You wont lose me. I will be there to teach our pups. They will have a lot of cousins to play with and a very protective uncle," Kaien said, thinking about his younger brother and licking Miyako's muzzle. Miyako lay next to him and fell asleep, Kaien's head on her back.

Outside, not sensed by the Kuchiki pack and their protector, 5 pairs of eyes surveyed the area. A slight rustling sounded and five figures trotted to sleep under the porch and escape the strom that was starting. A reddish-tan female trembled and was curled up next to a silver male, who lay his head on her back protectively and calming her. A golden-furred male lay a wolf-length from his black-furred male pack-mate. A white-furred male with yellow-gold eyes placed his head on his large black paws, pulled his lips back in a grin and fell asleep. But not before saying in a low growl,

"I have finally found you. Partner."


End file.
